Fractured
by kiwikid
Summary: A space station gives the Robinson's an opportunity to find a haven in a vast empty area of space, devoid of life and the resources they will need to continue their survival. But behind the station's inhabitants smiles lies a secret agenda, one that may prove dangerous to them all.
1. Chapter 1

Fractured- a lost in space adventure

A space station provides a friendly haven for the travel wary Robinsons. They are unaware that beneath the smiles of their new hosts lies a darker agenda, one that can prove deadly.

Chapter 1- Haven

"Log day 600 since departure from Earth", John Robinson's stomach growled audibly as he settled down in his cabin to record his latest report. "We have been travelling through an area of space that was devoid of any useful planets. Out of desparation Don landed the Jupiter on a large asteriod. We attempted to find some food, water and fuel sources from this barren landscape. It did not end well".

The landscape had been rugged, with jagged rocks rocks of varying heights dominating the surface. Using the chariot or the robot to retrieve anything had been out of the question. So they had to attempt it themselves. John would not let Maureen, the girls or Will try and help them because of the risk to their safety. That left him, Don and Dr Smith. The Doctor moaned all the time about how dangerous it was and how he was going to injure himself. He had been so busy focused on this littany of misery that he was not watching where he put his feet. The next minute the ground under his feet simply subsided and Smith found himself teetering on the edge of a massive hole.

Don ,who was right behind Smith had grabbed him, trying to pull him backward, away from the edge. John held his breath as they both swayed . Below them yawned a bottomless cavern. They would not survive the fall. Smith was a heavy man and he had not been sure Don could hold on. But he was too far away to offer help. All he could do was watch and hope both of them were not lost. Finally Don won the battle and Smith was back upon more solid ground.

It was obvious they would not continue that way. So they turned around, ready to retrace their steps. Smith followed behind, his face pale and damp with sweat, he was visibly shaking. He just looked at Major West, the man who he spouted poison about on a daily basis, that man had just saved his life. He seemed amazed that Don had taken the risk, had not let him fall. John was not, Don may not like Smith, but he would not just leave him to die.

Despite the harsh conditions John found a smile forming. It was in tough times like there that they truly became a team, putting aside personal feelings and working together. He waited on a relatively flat piece of rock for Don and Smith to join him.

Don, looked tired as he came toward him. He did not smile. It seemed a permanent thing these days and John was sure Judy was the cause of his demeanour . The two of them, once firmly together, hand in hand, seemed to barely speak these days. He vowed to have a word in private with Don to find out exactly what was going on.

No sooner had he thought this than he saw Don stumble, as the ground beneath his feet crumbled and his foot sunk into a hole. Then he was falling, straight onto the jagged rocks that littered the ground beneath his feet. Smith simply could not react fast enough to prevent that fall.

There was a horrid sound of impact, flesh meeting the hard enduring surface. Don actually screamed loudly for about one minute then he went quiet and still. John saw the pale grey surface of the rock beneath their pilot begin to be stained by blood.

Smith just stood there in shock for about 1 minute. Then he finally crouched down beside their fallen colleague and pressed his fingers to his neck. "He's still alive", he said .

John finally made it back to Don's side . Their pilot was moving now, though he was groaning loudly. His torso was covered in blood and when John lifted his shirt he could see a jagged cut made from the rock biting into Don's skin. Carrying him back to the Jupiter 2 was going to be a long arduous journey. "I can walk back", Don muttered out from his tightly clenched teeth.

He almost passed out when he and Smith raised him upward. They ended up part dragging, part carrying him back to his cabin. Don was not conscious when they finally deposited him on his bed.

John set about stripping off his clothing and quickly found that the jagged cut was not the only injury. Dons lower torso was a mass of bruised , tortured flesh. The damage continued down to around his knees and included the sensitive flesh of his groin area."Ouch', said Smith was he looked at the bruising. 'He's going to need that wound cleaned and sutured, as well as ice to the bruises it's going to be a rather painful recovery", he declared.

John swallowed, having Don out of action made their chances of survival even lower. He knew that they were now down to their food reserves. If they did not find another planet soon all of them could starve. Luckily the medical supplies would be adequate enough to treat Don though he would do a lot better in a well equipped medical clinic. Fat chance of finding one of those, John thought.

He left Don resting and let the robot lift the Jupiter off from the asteroids surface. The only chance they had was to continue searching.

John paused his diary, that had been 2 days ago and things were still grim. This region of space was like a desert, devoid of life, a quiet killer. All of them conserved their energy any way they could, restricting movement. They hoped each day for a sign this emptiness would end. So far though that hope had been in vain. He could no longer think about tomorrow or the day after. They had to survive day by day. He lay back upon his bed staring at the ceiling as if trying to find something hopeful amongst its dull surface

"Dad", Will's voice had an animated quality he had not heard for weeks, it made him sit upright and his heart beat sped up. There was excitement in his son's voice. "What is it", John asked hopefully as he opened his door. "There is a space station just coming into range. We should be there within a few hours", Will was smiling.

John blew a breath out of his teeth. It was like finding an Oasis. But what if it was just a mirage, a useless piece of space junk. He hurried out to look upon this miracle.

Maureen, Penny, Judy, Will and Doctor Smith were all there staring. "Are those ships", Will asked pointed to the barely discernible shapes that seemed to be attached to the station. "Yes", John confirmed, looking at the ships console. "We are saved", Smith announced. "Maybe, John stated, "they could be hostile".

They all swallowed hard at that thought. Yet no one suggested turning back, they had no other choice. Time slowly ticked away and the station became clearer. It was massive, bigger than about 20 of Earths largest passenger planes.

The ships docked at the station were all of an unfamiliar type, each one was about 5 times larger than the Jupiter. It made them feel insignificant ,and afraid. Especially since all of those ships had visible weapons and they were pointing in their direction. There was no warning of imminent weapons fire though. So far the Space Station's defence systems were inactive.

"Greetings vessel, please identify yourself", a female voice drifted through their communications console. It was not a threatening tone, sounding like a chirpy bird that has just woken on a sunny day. John rushed over. "Hello, I am Professor John Robinson, aboard the Jupiter 2. Myself and my crew urgently need supplies, any help you could give us would be greatly appreciated", he held his breath and looked at his family who were all doing the same. The next minute could save or doom all of them.

"Of course Professor Robinson, we would gladly come to your aid. Can you tell us your breathing requirements so we can direct you to the appropriate docking station", came the next request. John's smile returned, so far the occupants of the station were welcoming.

"We breathe oxygen", John replied. The question made him think that perhaps their were others on board the station that breathed a different type of air. They would know soon enough. He turned to the others. "This sounds promising but I am inclined to be cautious. I am not going to mention Don or his injuries until we find out more about these people." He was conscious of the fact that if there were hostiles aboard that station he would be dealing with them on his own. Smith was next to useless in those situations and Will was too young. He was sure Maureen, Judy and Penny would be willing to pick up a weapon and help out, but he was not inclined to let them.

"Dad, Don does need medical attention we cannot provide", Judy told him. It was the first time she had seemed concerned about Don since he had been injured. He looked over at her. She was pale and thin, a ghostly version of her normal self. "I am aware of that Judy. Yet we cannot afford to place him in more danger. We need to know if we can trust these people with his and our welfare", John told her. Judy flushed and then nodded. Her eyes were down on the floor. What was going on with her these days. John looked at his wife who shrugged. So whatever it was ,Judy had not confided in her mother, now that made him worry. He looked at Penny who was giving her sister a strange look. Maybe she knew the truth. It seemed that the look was telling her sister to tell all. Judy though remained silent. So many problems, yet he had to put them aside for the moment and concentrate upon landing at the Station.

"Dock at platform 2, it is the farthest most station", that same female told him. "If you do not mind, we have a few forms we would like you to complete. We do like to know about the types of people who enter our station". So they were being cautious as well. It made sense, though the Jupiter did not look intimidating compared to those other vessels. "Of course", John agreed.

Minutes later a burst of data was sent to their computers. John found it contained questionnaires and he printed one out all of them except Don.

Name: John Robinson

Gender: Male

Age: 43 years : Planet of Origin : Earth . Destination: Alpha centauri: Purpose of visit: to replenish supplies

Number of crew: He hesitated a moment, lying was not a good way to start a relationship. But then again they had already had many encounters that had gone wrong. He put 6 in that column.

After finishing his own form he checked the others, just to make sure nobody had mentioned Don. Nobody had, though Judy's tear stained face made it obvious she had warred with her feelings. How could she just care one moment and then ignore Don the next. His daughters mind seemed a mystery to him .He knew his own were clear, they would help their pilot ."We will see if they have medical supplies", he told the others. "Yes but what payment can we supply", Maureen asked worriedly. That of course was part of the risk, being at debt to an alien culture. They could use Don's injuries against them." It is the same with all supplies", Judy said. We have nothing but our hands."

"So we shall all work and then maybe we can earn some more supplies", Maureen remarked. Her eyes turned to Smith for a moment and she stared him down until he lowered his gaze. She expected him to do his part.

Right now Doctor Zachary Smith would do anything for a decent meal, anything. "I will do anything", he affirmed.

John sent the forms through .

xxxxxx

"We have a ship approaching, it will be docking within 2 hours", Lyric informed her colleague. "Here are the details of the crew". Conley looked them over, "not a lot of scope for trade there, he said sadly. "Still we must take what we can get", Lyric told him. "Indeed". "Let us greet our new arrivals". Conley looked over at Lyric, "they will be constantly monitored from the minute they dock".

Lyric thanked him. She was looking forward to meeting the ships crew.

xxxxxx

John thought they all looked terrible, the clothes that once fitted well sagging in places, their faces pale and cold. He attempted a smile, but stopped when he realised it made his face look more like a grinning skeleton. "Let's go", he told them. He had already locked the door to Don's cabin firmly. The robot would be left outside to keep watch .Once he was sure all was well he would tell these people about their injured cremate.

Together they walked out of the door and looked across through a clear screen at a beautiful woman of around 25. Her hair was long and silver and her eyes dark to the point of being almost black. That contrasted with her skin which was a pale shade of green. She almost looked like a living tree. He just stared at this vision and hardly noticed the older man standing at the woman's side

"Welcome John Robinson", Conley greeted. He saw the mans eyes shift from Lyric to his own. The other older man was still staring at Lyric his eyes wide . "I am the station manager, Conley Broolon"."This is our administrator Lyric".

John nodded at the older man, the screen so far prevented direct contact. He looked like a different species to the woman, with grey hair and golden skin. His eyes, disturbingly were actually red. John estimated he was around 60 Earth years. "The space station is called refuge. It is the only habitable point in this vast empty vacuum of space", Lyric told him.

John could not help staring at her and noted Smith did the same. Maureen, Penny and Judy focused upon the older man. Will was busy looking around.

Since John seemed incapable of further speech Maureen, took the opportunity to inform the woman, "our supplies have been slowly dwindling . We would be willing to offer our services in exchange for any help you can give us'. Lyric looked at her briefly then away. Her focus had been upon John the entire time and Maureen found the gaze to be rather unsettling.

"We are happy to render aid. Before you can board, you must walk through our decontamination corridor, "a door opened. John looked at the others, then stepped toward that doorway. If there was a problem he would face it first. Beyond the doorway was a very white corridor and when he walked down it different coloured lights swirled across the surface. Those lights then swirled over him. They gave him a tickling sensation that made him almost start to laugh. Then it was over and he walked out the door at the other end.

"Welcome to safety," Lyric stated as she reached out to take his hand. Her fingers were not still, she was actually stroking him. He said nothing believing this must be their method of making strangers welcome. When Maureen emerged from the corridor next though he noted that she just got a nod. "We have prepared some guest accomodation for you all, 6 rooms in total, one for each of you", Conley remarked.

Maureen felt it necessary to inform this woman of another fact. She was not happy that she was still staring at John. "John and I are married ,so we will share the accommodation", she said firmly. "Married", Lyric rolled the words around, like it was unfamiliar. So perhaps it was a concept these people did not know about. She would make sure they did.

"It means we are a bonded pair", she told Lyric, "we take vows to love, honour and cherish each other for the rest of our lives".We have already been together for many years and Judy, Penny and Will are our offspring".

Lyric stared at her for a second before nodding, "I see", she said. She looked over at Smith, "you are not married", she asked. "Me, oh no', Smith stated firmly. "We will accomodate your wishes, Conley will show you to your rooms. You may stay on the station and rest and recover. We know that the barrenness of this area of space has had a toll", Lyric told them. "That is generous, and we will repay you", John told her. "

Oh yes, you will, thought Lyric. She just smiled though. "Our hospitality extends to meals for the day, eat your fill". Will was still looking around, so far this place was not very interesting. "Will we meet the other occupants", he asked. "Only those that like you, breath oxygen. The other creatures here have different living requirements. We can provide translation services if you wish to trade with them later on. For now just rest", she signalled to Conley.

He came over, bowed to Lyric, then led them away.

Lyric hurried to the stations central control room. "I want two citizens to look over this new ship and catalogue what is on board", she requested. She leaned back into a chair and activated the cameras hidden in each of their guests rooms. There was no embarrassment about listening or watching everything these new people did.

xxxxxxx

John and Maureen stared at the large room they had been given. In the centre was a bed at least 4 times larger than the one on the Jupiter. The room itself was as big as all of those on the ship. In the corner his eyes saw a bowl filled with fruit. A liquid that looked like water, awaited them in a jug. 'All the food and drink here is safe for your kind", Conley informed them. He bowed, "I will leave you alone now. Perhaps later you would like a tour of our facilities". "Yes, that would be lovely", Maureen told him.

Conley left and John breathed out a huge sigh. "Well so far they are very friendly", Maureen stated. "Yes, so we should get around to asking about medical supplies", John stated. "Yes, we shall, but first", Maureen nodded at the food, "I am starving".

John looked at her. "This has all seemed a little too easy Maureen, how do we know that food is safe". He was inclined to still be cautious. "They could have already killed us, John, so why bother poisoning the food". She picked up a piece of fruit and just took a bite. "Tastes like a peach", she said. John decided to give up on caution as well. They had struggled to hard to live . After all Maureen was correct, surely these people would have not let them onto their station if they had hostile intent. "We will see to Don later", he told Maureen as he took a long bite of fruit.

Lyric was looking through the data on the crew, noting the names on the questionnaire, "Don", she repeated, "it is not the name of any of the others, so who is he talking about".

xxxxxxxx

On the Jupiter 2, Caci and Pali, wandered around, taking scans and recording everything. Caci left her companion and made her way to the living areas. She stopped when a strange machine stated, "halt, identify yourself".

Lyric looked over at the machine, it was not alive, thus the crew did not need to mention its existence. Obviously this machine was a guard of some type. She looked at the picture on the screen, 5 little cubicles, that tallied with the number of crew present. Most likely Don was the name given to the metal machine. Some people were like that ,giving non living things names in order to make them feel more alive. "Avoid the machine for now, finish up on the other level then bring me all the data", she instructed. Caci bowed ,then moved away.

Inside his cabin, Donald West was stirring. He opened his eyes and looked about him, so far everything looked the same. So why did he have a feeling something had changed. Carefully sliding off his bed, he opened his door. The robot stood outside. "Greetings Major West, I am to inform you that the Jupiter 2 has docked at a Space Station. Professor Robinson and the family went ahead to check the station and its occupants did not pose any type of risk to your wellbeing. They will return shortly with supplies . The Professor would like you to stay on the ship". The robot broke off, Don held his sutured stomach, aware of the throbbing that was beginning as the pain killers wore off. So they thought that he may be a liability. He felt very angry for about two minutes. The increase in pain made him stop, he was seriously injured, and actually would not be of any help if the ship encountered hostiles."Geez, I am so useless", he kicked at the floor. Disobeying the Professors instruction did not even cross his mind. He simply went back into his cabin and pulled the door shut again.

xxxxxx

Judy bounced up and down on the large bed. 'This place is amazing",Penny stated as she opened the door to the room and came to sit alongside her sister. "Yeah", Judy said softly ,her voice sounded distant. Penny squeezed her hand, "you are going to have to tell them some time Judy". Why not here and now. We are safe in this place".

Judy looked into her sisters eyes, 'we have thought that before Penny", she stated. "So far this journey has nearly killed us hundreds of times. It still could. I want to feel safe, but I can't", Judy told her sister. Penny hugged her tightly ,"you still need to tell them Judy'.

"They will feel ashamed of me Penny, I know thats how I feel about myself", Judy felt a hot tear roll down. Penny sighed as she held her sister. She had been the only one her sister had told about what had happened during their last planetary stop. Keeping that secret made her feel mature , older than her years. Still it felt like a burden she needed to share. It was not her place to tell her parents, that right belonged to her sister. "Hey you two ,are you just going to sit there, lets explore", Will bounded into the room his eyes alight with mischief .

xxxxxx

Doctor Zachary Smith felt stuffed, his stomach growled at him and heaved for a moment, it was not used to indulging like that. He had eaten everything in sight and now he wanted move. How possible was it to stay on this station. All he wanted was comfort, stuff Earth, stuff Alpha Centauri, just give me good food and no drama he said to himself. He remembered his promise to the Robinson's. There may be hard work ahead and with the Major out of action, John Robinson would turn to him. He poked himself, he was alive because of the Major and now it seemed the Major had taken his place in being the one who could get out of work.

"Drat ,why did you save me Major", Smith swore out loud to the air.

Xxxxx

Lyric frowned at the term, "Major", what does it mean. "It is a title that signifies military rank", Conley stated as he looked at the readout on the computer. "None of these people have admitted to having any experience in the military", Lyric remarked. "Perhaps they would not, if they thought that we were hostile", Conley debated. "Maybe, but 6 of them would have little chance against all of us, Conley. "No, I think these people are keeping something from us. Why would they leave that mechanical machine upon their ship. If it is a guard, then what is it guarding". "I shall order Cali to deactivate the machine and finish her search of the ship", Lyrics eyes had changed colour ,a red glow within them.

"Why would they lie, do they suspect the truth", Conley asked. "If they did my dear, they would not have landed", Lyric countered. "They are desperate, Lyric. We know that many will risk a lot for that reason", Conley reminded her. "Yes but I do not believe that they know. As I said 6 of them cannot overpower all of us. Perhaps they are just a cautious people. We will know the truth soon enough", she reminded him. "So will they", Conley stated. "Indeed, but by then it will be too late", Lyric promised.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2- watchful eyes

Will Robinson skipped down the corridor of the Space Station, with Judy and Penny at his side. His curiosity had only needed a few extra tasty items of food to be rejuvinated. He knew that they had been struggling to survive for months now. It had not really worried him. His parents always found a way. Here was proof. They were safe and warm on this station with plenty to eat.

"Should we just be walking around without a guide", Judy asked. "Nobody said we had to stay in our rooms Judy", Will countered. She had to be the grown up voice of authority on adventures like this. He understood that about his sister, though many other parts of her were a mystery to him. One of the things that puzzled him was her feelings for their pilot Major Donald West. He had seen them kissing rather passionately once, so knew they had intense feelings for each other. The very next day though, she was ignoring Don and he was stomping around in a bad mood. It made no sense. She either loved him or she did not, it was that simple in his mind.

He returned his thoughts to this adventure, which was proving to be rather boring so far. All they could see was an empty corridor with no doors. There was no colour about the place either, not a hint of blue, green or any shade other than drab white. He wondered about the silence and lack of life. There were other ships docked so where were all the other people on this Station. This place was beginning to feel a little creepy. It did not dull his enthusiasm for exploring though. Maybe there was more to this place.

Penny looked around as well. There was nothing around that would prompt an enthusiastic conversation with the others so she had to talk about the best thing about this place so far, the food. She too was thinking this place seemed rather dull. Planets with their abundance of life were so much more interesting. She loved to look at all the creatures, and to try and befriend those that were friendly. If she had her way the ship would become a travelling zoo. Her parents though never saw her point of view.

"Did you taste those white potato like things in the food bowl, she asked her siblings." They looked like they should be horrid, yet they tasted like chocolate" . "I did not try those", Judy responded. "Here", Will pulled one from his pocket and handed it over. "It always pays to be prepared", he told his sister.

He did not see the hidden camera that was looking down upon them as they moved forward. The cameras blended into the whiteness of the walls like a chameleon upon a leaf. Nobody would know they were being watched. "These guests seem rather presumptuous just showing themselves around our station", Conley protested to Lyric. "They are a race that is curious ,that itself is not a bad trait . In fact it just might boost trade possibilities. So Conley what will they do when they get to the line'. Will they cross or not", Lyric asked. "I think the boy might, he is the one who seems the most engaged. The girls are rather lifeless, especially that blonde", she added.

Conley looked at their guests, he decided Lyric was right in her assessment so far. "Will Robinson may be the type who will cross, I better stand by to intercept them. We cant have them finding out too much yet", he stated. "No, not yet", Lyric agreed.

Judy, Penny and Will had just reached a part of the corridor where a bright red line crossed the floor in front of them. It extended down the corridor as far as they could see. Penny and Judy stopped contemplating the line. Will put one foot over the line, then looked back at his sisters. "Usually red means danger", Penny cautioned. 'There is nothing else", Will told her, "no signs, no barriers, if it was dangerous surely there would be one of those". Come on you two, where is your sense of adventure".He was actually feeling more interested now.

Penny looked at Judy deferring to her judgment. "I suppose he is right Penny", Judy said finally after an internal battle that lasted 5 minutes. . She went to put a foot over the line. "No, stop", Conley came racing down the corridor, his breath puffing out in gasps. Penny, Judy and Will froze. They looked almost comical now with Judy's leg still raised. She quickly composed herself. "If you continue on, you will leave the portion of the station that has oxgyen and enter a different environment. You will die within minutes", Conley told them.

Judy felt the blood drain from her face. "There should be more warning than just a line", she protested. "Our premanent occupants all know what that line means. Visitors should not be wandering around without guidence", Conley chastised .He saw that out of the three the blonde looked the most afraid. Inwardly he smiled, if a little red line scared her then what he was about to show them would be terrifying. Beckoning them over he pressed a button on the wall, a console dropped down to the floor. It gave the guests a glimpse of the aliens that lived in the red zone of the Station.

"Look , these are the Naloolab", he told them. At first all they could see was green mist swirling around in the air. Then through the mist came a creature, walking upon 6 large legs. It resembled a large version of the cockroach. However cockroaches did not have large teeth that protruded out of their mouths and hung almost to the ground. Those teeth were about 60 centimetres long and needle sharp. Conley watched as the three youngest Robinson's swallowed nervously. He was now going to add some information that would ensure the curious streak was permanently snuffed out. "They are flesh eaters, children, the stuff of nightmares. Be thankful they would die instantly if they tried to enter this part of the station". "They just stop here like you do, for supplies and trade". This is what this station is, a rest point for all races. Many are very different to your own kind and not only in appearance. Be assured that we do not tolerate violence on this Station. However now you know why visitors should not just wander around. Come now let's go back to your rooms". He led the way back down the corridor with the children keeping pace beside him.

Xxxxxxx

Caci was taking records of everything on board the Jupiter 2. She slipped a weapon out of her uniform and secured it within the belt of her trousers as she moved back toward the living quarters. The weapon was a new acquisition and she was keen to try it out. It had not been tested upon anything living , hence she had no idea how powerful this weapon could be. In fact she should not be using the weapon. But testing it upon the mechanised machine would be a way to find out more. There was minimal risk she decided .Once the machine was disabled she would look within the living quarters and find what was hidden there.

She thought they had valuable items and that even though they were starving, they were not presenting them for trade. It was a very silly thing to do over simple belongings. Reaching the level of the bedrooms, she could see the machine moving up and down past the closed doors. She waited until it turned away until coming down the ladder. Slowly she moved her hand downward toward the weapon, once the machine was in range she would fire. It turned, and saw her, "who goes there", it asked. Cali raised her hands, "it's alright, I am just conducting a survey of your vessel", she stated. The machine had done nothing yet to try and stop her so she still had the element of surprise. It would not expect an attack.

Caci was so focused upon the machine that she did not see the door to one of the rooms opening. She fired her weapon at the same time something moved out of the room and stood in front of the robot. Don recognised the sound of weapons fire and quickly ducked downward. The movement tugged at the sutures in his stomach and he groaned audibly and fell onto the floor of the Jupiter. He lay there clutching his middle and inwardly cursing himself for not being able to take action.

It was up to the robot to protect him. In a swift movement it pivoted sideways, avoiding the bolt of weapons fire. Then before the weapon could be fired again the robot used an arch of electricity through his claws to destroy the gun while it was still in the alien woman's hand. The gun simply turned to ash and Caci pulled her hand back toward her body in fear. Her hand looked completely normal . She turned her gaze downward toward the young man that was looking wide eyed at her. He looked nervous as if awaiting another attack. She felt herself begin to shake. "Lyric, she stated through her communication device, "I have found another man in one of the cabins".

Lyric could see exactly what she had found, through the camera upon her uniform. Did the Robinson's keep prisoners, that was one possible explanation for his presence. "Who are you", she heard Caci ask. "Major Donald West', came the reply from grunted lips. The man did not rise and Lyric found herself beginning to panic when she saw that there appeared to be a red stain on his middle. "What did you do to him Caci. You should not have fired that weapon", Lyric stated. She pushed a button and ordered some guards to board the ship.

"Take the young man to be treated, bring Caci to me", she told the security force. When these masked figures boarded the Jupiter and tried to take Don, the robot waved it's claws in a threatening manner. "Do not touch him", it told them. "We want to help him", Lyric stated firmly. The machine just kept waving its claws. Obviously it did not believe their intent was harmless. She could understand that. This was Caci's fault. She would have to talk to the Robinson's about this young man.

xxxxxx

Will sat awkwardly and waited to be chastised for his actions. The grim face's upon his parents indicated that they were not impressed with their escapade. Conley had moved away a little to give the parents time to deal with their children. When Lyric called him, he moved even further back to listen to what she had to say. "Will Robinson what you did was reckless", Maureen began , "as for you girls, you should have more sense and tell him no. Have you learnt nothing from all the danger that we have experienced". She could not believe how they could make the same mistakes over and over. "Excuse me", Conley stepped forward looking bleak, he focused upon John Robinson. "Possibly the children' are used to being deceitful ,it is a trait their parents possess", he stated bluntly.

John and Maureen both went pale. "Our children were merely exploring ,they meant no harm", Maureen defended. "We do not have any ill intent toward you", John added. Conley grimaced at him, "how can I believe liars".I think we should tell you all to leave. This lifeless region of space will deal with you soon enough".

Maureen Robinson had always been strong. She had endured much , but there always came a point when one little action released the storm of emotion that had been held her mind .She could see them all dying slowly of hunger or disease. All her self control faded, and she began to sob ,"no, please let us stay a little longer", she begged. John pulled her close wrapping his arms around her. His own eyes were moist, "please don't turn us away", he added.

Doctor Smith wandered out of his room at this point. His hair was sticking up in all directions. He had been sleeping and had only just been roused by the raised voices. For the first time in a while he felt content ,but as usual that did not last. Maureen was sobbing, John locked grim and their was an atmosphere of anger in the air. Curse the Robinson's for spoiling a good thing. Stowing aboard the Jupiter was the worst thing he had done. The Robinson's always seemed to get into trouble. He conveniently forgot that he was often the source of their problems. So what had upset their hosts . He was sure he had heard Conley use the word lie. Smith thought about everything that had transpired so far and came up with only one instance where they had lied. He wanted their hosts to see him as the reliable one so quickly asked, "is this about Major West."

Conley turned his gaze him for a second then back to John Robinson. 'You only listed 6 people aboard your ship, yet there are 7", he remarked. John looked down at the floor, he knew that omission would come back at him. "Don was injured when we tried to secure fuel from an asteroid. I did not want to further endanger him by trusting his welfare to anyone who could have hostile intent. We have had to fight our way out of some very dangerous situations already. I am sorry for the omission". Once we were sure this station was safe we would have told you everything". John hoped they accepted this.

Listening in, Lyric could understand their point of view. There were only 6 of them and that was not enough to deal with an army of hostile individuals. "We have no intention of hurting the young man", she assured the Robinson's. "Can you get this mechanised guard to stand down so we can send him to our medical centre for treatment.' John was about to comply when it occurred to him that his children had not been the only ones sneaking about. "You boarded the Jupiter 2", he remarked firmly. "Thus our children are not the only ones who go somewhere without permission."

Lyric swallowed, maybe Conley had gone a little over the top in accusing them of deception. They were after all deceiving them. She hoped they could solve the tense situation ."We were just making sure there were no active bacteria on board your ship. It is simply routine", Conley lied glibly. He guessed that desperation was the only thing keeping them from turning and leaving at this point. 'Let's start over, he suggested, "clear the air". Please we would like to help the young man" . "Perhaps Dr Smith could be present when he is treated."Conley chose Smith as he had been the first to admit the young mans presence.

"I want to go", Judy interjected firmly. "You", Lyric said the word through her comm line with just a slight bit of scorn. She had already decided she did not like this blonde . Judy stretched herself taller, "I care for him very much", she said loudly. She felt like she had to shout her feelings and make them clear. "I see", Lyric remarked. "Well it is probably better that someone not emotionally invested in his welfare is present. Any dramatic scenes just may cause him further distress. Doctor Smith will be given access", Lyric kept her face stern.

"You can see him later Judy", Maureen told her daughter hurriedly. She did not want another scene . They were all still exhausted and needed more rest before returning to their journey. "I am sure Don will be alright", she added. "Of course he will be alright", Lyric insisted.

Lyric watched as the robot was ordered to stand down. Two of the masked guards then lifted Major Don West off the ground and carried him off. She let out a breath of relief. When Caci entered her office 5 minutes later she set her face again. 'Who gave you clearance to use that weapon", she challenged. Caci went pale, "nobody', she admitted. "I meant no harm Lyric. You did want to see what that machine was guarding". "So now you blame me", Lyric growled. "There was no order to fire Caci. You could have killed the young man". This is a disciplinary matter", Lyric told Caci.

Caci dropped to her knees, "no please", she begged. Lyric showed no emotion, she reached down toward her middle and fired a small beam of light at the young officer. Cali's legs collapsed underneath her and she fell in a heap at Lyric's feet. 'Guards, take her to the preparation chamber. She will await her punishment there". The masked guards gripped Caci under her arms and dragged her off through the doors.

"Conley I will come and join you and we will give our visitors a tour of the Station together. Doctor Smith can be shown to the medical centre as part of the tour." She hurried out of her office to join her colleague.

Will was sure it was going to be boring as they walked down that lifeless corridor again. Lyric paused and smiled, she lifted a small device from her uniform and pointed it at the wall. A door appeared. It opened and Will Robinson stood there with his mouth agape staring.

In front of them was a large lake with some small boats just visible in the distance. A white sandy beach stretched around the edges of the lake. He automatically looked upward and was stunned when he saw blue sky. "It is of course just an illusion", Conley said as he followed his gaze. "The lake and the rest is real though. This is part of our recreation centre. You are welcome to come here any time". For the first time they saw other people, some were swimming and others just lazing about. Most of the people stopped to stare at them. John could see they were from different species, though all had similar body types to humans.

Will, Penny and Judy all wanted to jump in the lake there and then. They thought it better to be polite and finish the tour. Now the white corridor did not feel as uninspiring and they were all waiting to see what else was revealed. "'Of course we know that other things appeal to visitors", Lyric smiled widely as she pushed another button.

Beyond the next door was a market, with many brightly coloured stalls. Judy stared at the clothing hanging from one stall. She desperately wanted to try on some of the dresses. A wave of despair hit her, how would she pay for something that beautiful. "We will begin trade talks soon", Conley told them. 'I am sure we can come to some arrangement". People milled around the market as well and offered them bright smiles. All of them looked like they they were enjoying life.

They walked in silence after seeing the market. Now they were conscious of what little they had to offer these people. They barely bothered about the white corridor now, they knew that first appearances meant nothing . Finally they stopped again.'Here is our medical facility", Conley announced. Again a door appeared in the white corridor. They all entered.

Inside was a very well equipped centre . Don was lying on a bed but did not look that comfortable. Masked people moved around him and when they went to touch him he would scoot out of range. Lyric strode past the visitors and approached the side of the bed. She put her hand down gently over Don's. "It is alright, we mean you no harm".

Don stared at the beautiful woman who had her hand over his own. Her eyes seemed to smile at him. The hand that held his own was warm and it was stroking his skin slowly. He did not pull his hand away.

Judy moved forward to stand beside the bed. She stared at Lyric with a gaze that burned right though her. "Darling are you alright", she asked Don.

Smith actually grunted at that address, she had never called Major West that before. He sensed that Lyric touching the Major in an overly friendly way had prompted this response. John And Maureen looked surprised as well. Judy seemed to have suddenly remembered her interest in Don.

Don pulled his hand from Lyric's and reached out to grasp Judy's, 'I am alright", he confirmed. Judy held firm to his hand. "My presence is not causing him distress", she told Lyric firmly. "I should be the one to stay".

"You may visit tomorrow. He does need to be treated and it is better if he rests as well", Lyric told her. Don did not let go of Judy's hand. Lyric could see that he was nervous. Most likely he was worried about being in an alien clinic. "Do not worry Major West, we have treated many visitors. Our care is of the highest standards". Please just relax", Conley requested. Don looked at the Robinson's. John nodded at him. He marginally relaxed. "Alright", he conceded. "Good", Lyric stated.

"Let me tell you all a little about ourselves to ease your minds. We, came upon this station many years ago. Just like you we were struggling to survive the expanse of dead space. This place was abandoned. So we put all our resources into bringing the station back to functionality. We began an industry to help others who also travelled through this region. They could stop here to relax and then trade with other species. We do of course keep a portion of the profits to help keep this station running. Our people live and work here". Lyric broke off her tale and looked at the Robinson's faces. She could tell they believed her. It was a good little speech. Of course it was a lie. They would not know the truth until she was ready.

"Come I will escort all of you back to your rooms. We will be serving another meal soon. Then perhaps you'd like to go for a swim", Conley suggested. He walked back with them.

It seemed that he was not required to stay with the Major after all, so Smith strolled along behind the others. He had liked what he had seen of the station so far. "Tell me do you know how to get to Alpha Centauri", John Robinson asked Conley. "No, I am afraid that name is unfamiliar to us. When we first arrived, we decided to travel beyond the station to see if the expanse of space had an end. We travelled four more days and found nothing. That journey almost cost us our lives. If there is a habitable planet out there then it is many days away", Conley told him. He looked at their faces ,they were shocked. Good, he thought, now they are beginning to see this station as a possible home.

Indeed after he had dropped the Robinson's off at their rooms Dr Smith asked. "Is it possible for visitors to actually stay here". Their description of life beyond the station had frightened him. There was nothing wrong with this place that he could see. "Of course Dr Smith. We have only 2 criteria for settlement", Conley told him. "Just two, what are they", Smith asked. He hoped they did not expect alot of money. "I am sure we can discuss that when we begin trade talks", Conley hedged. "In the meantime, enjoy yourself Dr Smith. Our facilities are all free of charge".

"Free", Smith stared at him. That sounded to good to be true. Everything had a price.

Conley sensed his suspicion , Smith was waiting to find out the catch. Of course there was one and soon it was going to catch up with all of their new visitors.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3- The sting in the tale

Don was studying the masked beings who circled his bed in the medical centre .He had wondered at first if they were robots of some type. He dismissed that thought when he heard their breath shoot past his ears. They were people yet wearing the uniforms made them like something from a nightmare. Every time they went to touch him, he felt himself flinch. Since everyone else had left him he had to gain reassurance from the only person who looked real, the beautiful woman called Lyric.

She had not stopped staring at him yet. "You are still unsure about our intent", Lyric queried as she stepped closer to him. "The medical personal on my home planet are not completely covered. Yours just seem to be more like machines, which is off-putting", Don told her. "I don't mean to offend you", he quickly added.

Lyric smiled at him and reached down to stroke her fingers over his face. "Your concern does not offend me Major Donald West. I think you will understand the reason. Years ago we had to treat victims of a terrible war. The injuries were in many cases horrific and unsettling. Alot of the victims would not survive. We had to give them comfort in their last hours and it was almost impossible to keep our emotions from showing to the family and other loved ones. Our people decided that seeing the faces of medical personnel heightened the anxiety . So we made a decision to cover them."

Don saw tears begin to roll down Lyric's face. Without thinking about it he took her hand and squeezed it tightly ."I do understand", he told her softly. "In my career I have seen some unpleasant things". He felt more relaxed now and did not flinch when the masked attendants ran some sort of device over him. "Please just call me Don", he told Lyric. Now she was smiling and it made her even more beautiful. Keep your eyes to yourself Don, he told himself firmly. He looked down. But he could feel her gaze not wavering . Now he started to feel uncomfortably hot. Was he actually blushing, he hoped not.

"Well Don our scans show you are healing. The medicines your friends have provided have helped to combat infection. However the pain relief you have been given is not adequate", Lyric was still holding his hand and gently stroking. "We can give you some of ours". She reached over the top of him and took a little device off a tray. 'Can I proceed", she asked. When Don nodded, she ran the device over him. She watched his face and noted the fact his eyes slowly fluttered closed. As she studied him frankly ,she decided that he was in a deep sleep. Removing her hand from his she reached up to touch his face once more. After a moment she pulled her hand away then strode over toward the door.

Don's vision had been the first sense to fade out but strangely the other ones seemed to be more active after whatever Lyric had given him. He could feel her fingers upon him. The touch was almost intimate and it confirmed that Lyric was indeed interested in him. He felt uncomfortable about the fact she had looked at him like a starving man would look at a hunk of meat, with a burning almost feral hunger.

Now as she was about to leave he finally felt like he could relax. He heard some soft beeping sounds and knew what she was doing. Studying your area and committing everything to memory was a skill the military had drilled into him. So he knew the sounds came from the keypad at the door. But why was she locking that door. Of course she could be concerned that the medicine he had been given would make him restless and he could wander off and injure himself.

No, he told himself ,whatever she gave you has a paralysing effect, that should not happen if it was just pain relief. So she sold you a sad story to get an agreement to be drugged. Idiot he told himself, you should be smarter than falling for a sob story a beautiful woman has given you . Now she had locked the door to stop people getting access as well as preventing him from leaving. Effectively she was keeping him prisoner. He should get off this bed and warn the others that something was not right . His body would not obey the warning thumping through his mind. He fought with everything he had to shake off the effects of the drug. It was no use, everything around him went black.

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Lyric was smiling when she entered the control room. Conley turned to look at her, his face was set, serious. "You should not underestimate that young man", he warned, nodding in the direction of the camera that showed Don lying unconscious."He was taking in everything about his environment".

"Of course, it is in his nature to be suspicious". He can't do anything at the moment", Lyric stated. "You are also not to touch him again", Conley added that with a definite warning tone. Lyric felt herself go white. Her head turned to the corner of the room, where a concealed camera watched everything that happened in this room. She knew the instruction had not come from Conley.

"Very well", she stated , "I know the rules. Forgive me for forgetting them and letting myself slip up", she started to tremble violently hoping the watchers would not take action over her indiscretion . When no orders came she began to relax.

She turned back to the cameras and watched as the guests prepared to go swimming. John Robinson was stripping off his clothing and placing it carefully upon the bed. Lyric smiled again as she observed him. Conley was watching Judy Robinson. "She is a reasonably attractive specimen", he stated. Lyric scowled and gave Judy one scornful glance, "no", she stated. "Her fate is already sealed Conley". Conley just shrugged, he knew what was going to happen to their guests and felt not one bit of shame over their fate. "I can still admire her", he told Lyric," and no one can protest over that fact".

Lyric stamped her feet loudly on the floor and glared.

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Judy sighed as she put on her swimming costume. She should be in the medical centre holding Don's hand and making sure that Lyric stayed away from him. Surely though Don would not be angry about her having time to relax. She desperately needed that time to get her churning emotions under control. You have to tell them, she told herself. In her next thought she decided that she was no longer a child and thus should not run to her parents every time she had a problem.

A knock sounded, "come in, she instructed. The door opened and Penny and Will entered, also both in their swimming costumes , towels hung over their arms. "Let's go", Will invited. Judy draped the towel around herself and with Penny and Will at her side walked down the white corridor.

Behind them Maureen and John strolled arm in arm. Doctor Smith brought up the rear. He was still nibbling upon treats provided by their hosts. In his head, Smith was rearranging the layout and decor of the station to be more to his taste. He was sure their hosts would listen to his suggestions. At least he was free to make the choice to stay at the Station if he chose to do so. For a brief moment he felt sorry for the Major who had no choice over where he went. As the pilot of the Jupiter 2 he could not simply decide to abandon them.

His mind rapidly shifted to the water as the doors opened to the recreation centre. "Where is everyone", John queried as they encountered the fact that they were the only people present. "This is a Space station John, perhaps the others have already moved on to their own destinations", Maureen remarked. "Yes, maybe, though Conley made a point of saying their were no habitable planets for days", John told her. "They might be races who live in space, their ships were larger than our own," Judy added.

She moved away from them, and started to wade in the water. It was tepid, and a warm sensation came over her. "This is lovely", she told the others. One by one they all joined her in the water.

John and Maureen stayed together, side by side, enfolded in each others arms. Judy looked at them and sighed deeply. "Go, tell them now", Penny hinted as she swam past her sister. "No, I don't want to interrupt", Judy muttered. Penny shook her head at her, "geez Judy", she protested. Penny swam away in frustration, leaving her sister to her own thoughts.

Will was floating on his back, looking upward at the fake sky. It was now in its night faze, with stars twinkling and a moon that almost looked like Earth's own . He was not enjoying the vista, instead he was trying to work out how the illusion of sky was created. There were no obvious projectors.

"This is nice my boy, I could enjoy this everyday", Dr Smith drifted up to him. Will grunted, "it's okay for a break, but I prefer soil under my feet. This is all fake". Smith swallowed, he was hoping he could lead into the fact he wanted to stay. Will was the one he would miss the most. Don't get sentimental, he told himself. "Yes, it is, but who can tell when we will find another planet Will. I believe this could be an adequate home", there he had said the words.

Will turned to study him. 'I doubt that mother or father would chose to stay despite what Conley told them. They will just trade for supplies then we will be on our way again", he replied. Smith agreed with him, the elder Robinson's were probably unmovable , yet he could work on the younger members. "Surely my boy you could find many interesting things to do here. Penny and Judy could as well. There are other people here, so you could make friends. Judy could find another man instead of sulking because Major West has lost interest".

When Will laughed at that, Smith felt puzzled. "Penny and Judy would not want to stay here either Dr Smith. If you do, then I suppose that is your choice". Will felt a little sad about losing the company of Dr Smith. He would still have the robot though. The machine was currently still on board the Jupiter. It would be checking the craft and making sure the ship was ready for departure. Looking back up at the stars, Will found himself focusing on one point, a slight glint, that did not come from the artificial shine of the stars.

So was that the projection device. No its location was wrong for that. But there was something up there and it was concealed from view by some type of cloaking device.

That he felt was very interesting. He could ask about the device later and find out what sort of response he got from their hosts.

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"That boy is looking straight at where the camera is located", Conley warned. "Well he is the curious one", Lyric replied. "I think it is a little late for them to leave now". "In fact we will start phase two tonight". Conley was surprised, "I thought we would be waiting a little longer", he queried. 'No, there is a risk they would leave if another issue occurs", she replied. Conley studied her face, "its more than that, he challenged. She nodded, "I want to be on the list",she explained. Conley knew what she was referring to and was not surprised, "You know they may turn you down Lyric", he stated. Lyric swallowed ,she did not want to hear the word no from her superiors. "I will put my case across in a clear concise manner", she replied.

Conley felt sorry for her, he guessed the answer would be no and if Lyric pushed the fact she would end up sharing Caci's fate.

"Tonight we will activate the white noise in their quarters Conley, then we will deal with them", Lyric stated.

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Maureen felt warm and safe in her husbands arms. "Tomorrow we must find out how to trade with our hosts and the other beings present. We will need alot of supplies to get us through this dead region of space", John told her. "What if there is no way out John. We could be condemning ourselves and the children to a slow death out there", Maureen replied seriously. "If there are ships coming and going, then they must have a destination. I think Conley was just warning us to be cautious. It is good advice. One of the things we shall trade for will be maps of this region of space", John stated. "If the ship is fully stocked we can survive for many months. We can also repair the Cyro pods if necessary so we can sleep until a habitable planet is found",John added.

Even though he felt confident John had to admit doubt crept into every decision he was making these days. He was painfully aware that making the wrong choice could condemn them all to death. Slowly he was letting go of the plans they had made when they first left Earth. At first they had searched for Alpha Centauri and were committed to landing there. Now any habitable planet would do.

He thought briefly about staying here at the Station. A permanent life in space was not appealing. If these people relied solely on trade for supplies then they too may find themselves without the basic needs necessary to sustain life. Sure it looked good on the surface but he knew that nothing was as easy as it seemed.

"Dad I think there is some sort of device up there", Will swam over and pointed upward at the sky. John looked at where he was pointing. "Well I suppose they could have a security camera up there. We do have concealed cameras on Earth Will", he remarked.

"Yeah, still our hosts did not mention that fact", Will added. He had a point there. John found himself liking this station less and less as time went by. "We need supplies Will, then we will leave", he assured his son. Will nodded feeling satisfied with that. He was sure it was safe enough to spend a few more days here.

They all drifted in the warm water for awhile longer. Penny yawned loudly. "Yes, I agree, we all still need rest", her father told her. "Tomorrow we shall offer our services to our hosts in exchange for supplies. I expect everyone to work until they drop from exhaustion", he glanced at Smith when he said that.

Inwardly Zachary Smith cringed, what if their hosts expected hard work as well. Only two conditions they had said when he had hinted about staying. Why did he have the horrible feeling back breaking work was involved. He would have to pretend to be helpful.

Dragging himself out of the water he paced slowly behind the others. He would help them secure some more supplies, then he would leave them and seek a home on this station.

Making his way back to his room Zachary began to dream of the life ahead of him.

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"They are all back in their rooms now ", Conley told Lyric. "Good ", she turned a dial on each monitor, starting up the white noise in each room. "Let me know when they are all asleep", she told him.

Conley nodded turning his back on her.

Lyric went into her office and activated a small monitor, "we are beginning stage two now", she reported. "Very good Lyric, came the reply. "We have received your application for the list and will consider you along with the rest. You will be notified as to our decision shortly", her superior stated.

At least it was not no, Lyric felt her hopes rise.

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John snuggled into his wife's arms. For some reason he now felt very tired. He had wanted to go over his plans for tomorrows trade talks with Maureen. She was already soundly asleep and he just did not have the heart to awaken her. His wife had already sacrificed so much for him. He felt this lump tighten in his throat as he thought of how much he loved her.

His head was on her chest when he felt asleep .

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His hand registered a cold place upon the bed where his wife had lain. That made John mutter and open his eyes. The clock on the white wall told him it was morning on the space station. He groaned, probably Maureen was already up and helping their hosts cook breakfast. That would be like her. He should jump up and help her. But this bed felt so nice and he was still recovering from the rigours of their journey. Thus it was another 20 minutes before he finally decided he better join his wife.

John went out of the room and wandered down the white corridor. He had no idea where to start looking for his wife. It was creepily quiet around him. Something was off about this place this morning. The white wall was unrelenting with no sign of any doors. Yet Conley had said the recreation centre was open all the time. John kept walking, his footsteps echoing in his ears. He came to a halt in the corridor, this was where the red line stopped further progress. Something made him look downward .His heart jolted painfully, there was no trace of a red line. Yet he was in the right place.'

Instead of continuing onward John went back the way he came. He was almost running now. "Judy", he called as he knocked on her room's door. When no answer came he went inside. Again he felt his heart lurch as he found a bed stripped of all bedding. There was no sign anybody had occupied the room recently. Hurrying out he flung Penny's door open without knocking. Again he saw no signs of life. Now John was beginning to feel freaked out. He ran to Will's room, there was nothing but an empty space. "What is going on", he yelled loudly.

No reply came from anywhere. He did not stop, running down the corridor at break neck speed, toward the docking area. All he did was hit into a wall ,hard. He fell down and looked upward at the unrelenting wall. There was no sign of any doorway leading to the area where they had docked the Jupiter 2. John was rapidly shifting from freaked out to terrified. He turned again and ran back down the white corridor screaming "Maureen", loudly.

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Will Robinson awoke to find himself lying on a floor. When he looked up, he saw a patterned wall in front of him. That was strange as the room had white walls last night. But that was not the only change, there was no furniture present , only a big empty space. Clearly this was not the same room he had been sleeping in last night. Will sprung to his feet and looked around the patterned walls for the door. He could not see one. "What is going on", he yelled. His cry seemed to bounce of the walls . "Dad", he yelled loudly next. His father always knew what to do in times of trouble. No response came. "Mom, Penny, Judy", he cried out, one after another. Still nothing but the eerie echo.

Feeling his fear rise Will began to run around the room searching for away out. There has to be one, he told himself. He kept running only stopping to thump on the wall . His breath panted out between his lips as he found no sign of an exit. "Please", he sobbed. Will slid down onto the floor and curled himself into a ball, tears fell from his eyes to pool around his head.

At times like this someone would always come to comfort him. Now nobody did.

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Donald West's mouth felt dry when he opened his eyes. He slowly raised himself upward and looked around. The familiar surroundings of the Stations medical centre assured him that he had just been hallucinating last night. In his dream, he had been wheeled down the white corridor on his bed. At both sides of the corridors were masked attendants, there were hundreds of them in total. As he passed by they touched him, hanging on for a moment. Sometimes his leg had to be wrenched from their fingers. One of them had even jumped up onto his bed and grabbed hold of him. They had been dragged down by a sea of other masked figures. It had been a totally creepy experience.

Carefully Don slid off the bed and padded over to the door. It would not open. So the fact he was locked in had not been a dream. At sometime one of those attendants had to come and check on him. Then he was going to get some answers. Well actually, he told himself, why not just leave. They cannot keep you here against your will.

He stood waiting for the door to open. Minutes turned into one hour and his legs began to ache. He turned back toward the bed. A thumping on the door made him jump with fright. "Don", came the muffled voice of John Robinson. He sounded panicked . "John what's wrong", Don yelled back. He heard kicking of the door in response. "I can't get out, the door is locked", Don cried.

"I can't'", there came a muffled sob from John ,Don pressed his ear against the door, surely his friend was not actually crying.

Don's fear began to rise, "John what's wrong", he demanded. "I can't find the Maureen or the children Don". It's not my imagination, as I have looked everywhere. They are gone". Don heard a loud bump. "John", he yelled, "John".

If he could have looked outside the door he would have seen John Robinson, slouched down in a heap with his head in his hands sobbing. "Please what is going on", he begged. Silence was the only response he got. "Please", the word was yelled as loudly as he could manage. "Where is my family".

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Dr Zachary Smith stretched himself up, cat like, yawning loudly. It was he supposed, another day of tedious talks and most likely hard work. He took his time getting out of bed and getting dressed. When an hour had passed and nobody had banged on his door to ask him why he was taking so long he began to get worried. Maybe they had just started without him, he told himself. Opening his door he peered out ant the unrelenting whiteness in front of him. "I am sure a lick of paint will brighten this place, perhaps blue", he stated.

He strolled down the corridor. Strangely, no doors opened as he went passed. He kept walking. It did not occur to him that he had crossed the area of the station where the red line had been until he was nearly at the end of the corridor.

Smith swallowed nervously and sucked in a few breaths. Nope, the air smelt alright. This was strange though because the line seemed to have disappeared. He came to the end of the corridor. Now there was no place to go but back again. He was about to turn when a door opened in front of him. Dr Smith stared, no way, he told himself. He took a step forward , then dropped to his knees. Tears began to run down his face. This was a dream come true.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4- New life

At first the robot revelled in the silence. There was no Doctor Smith constantly trading barbs or Will asking him to help with something technical. It was just him and the Jupiter 2, like two old friends comfortable with saying nothing. After awhile though he found himself engaging his musical circuits , starting off softly then getting louder and louder. The sound did not fill the vaccum of silence. Perhaps it was time to join the rest of the crew. He could just report on their current status, that would be acceptable. The Robot started to roll toward the door. He was nearly there when Conley strolled up the ramp. Greetings," I regret to inform you that you can not have access to this vessel", the robot stated.

Conley did not try to get past the robot. "I have come to tell you that the Robinson's have decided to stay on the station. You can stop whatever you are doing and come with me, there is another task for you to complete", Conley told him. He sounded genuine and was confident that the machine did not know about lying.

The robot thought about this, it seemed odd that this man would deliver news that should have come from Professor Robinson himself. "The professor has not informed me of any changes", he stated. "He is busy at the moment, undoubtedly he will fill you in once he has time. While you wait you can get started on the new project. It is suited for one of your extreme intelligence", Conley told him.

Of course that was a true statement the robot thought, he felt pride that his skills were valued. "Very well", he agreed, I will come". He rolled down the ramp following the alien man. They entered a part of the wall that had looked solid before. Another white corridor awaited him. At the end of that was a small alcove where it seemed like the corridor just ended. There was nothing but the emptiness of space behind that wall and for a moment the robot felt uncertain. Seconds later there was a strange light enveloping him and then a door opened to the left . The robot surmised that he had just been in a transport device. He entered a large room .In front of him were a array of different consoles. They looked familiar. Now he understood. "If you start over here", Conley stated.

The Robot analysed the console in front of him, it was in bad shape. "Do you have parts for this ", he queried. "No, you will have to use components from your ship to complete repair." The Robot thought about that, if he took parts from the ship it would not fly again. But if the Robinson's were staying then the Jupiter 2 was obsolete anyway. "I will ascertain which parts are needed and set about making the necessary repairs", the robot told Conley.

"That is good", Conley remarked. He smiled widely. This project had taken a long time already and finally the end was in sight. He just had to hope nobody found out what he was doing. There were no cameras here, but that did not mean he was safe. Just act normal, he told himself and all will be well.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Judy could hear sobbing. The sound snapped her into awareness. Underneath her she felt the coldness of a hard floor. That was not right, she opened her eyes. Her movements felt slow, groggy, like she had too much to drink. Of course that was not right either. Afer a few minutes she could finally bring her surroundings into focus. It was then that the panic started to settle upon her. Directly in front of her was a clear door with a large number written on its face. She rapidly jumped upward and tried to open that door. It would not budge.

Turning around she found that she was held in a tiny cubicle, with just enough space to lie down. It was , she decided, a prison cell.

Looking out through the door, she could see Penny sitting with her arms around her legs. She had a distant look in her eyes that spoke of shock. In the cage next to her, was her mother, her face was ghostly white and she was visibly shaking. "Mom", Judy called out.

Maureen's eyes shifted to her older daughter, "Our hosts have betrayed us", Maureen choked. Judy swallowed hard, what was going to happen to them. When the sob sounded again, she felt puzzled, though their faces were pale, neither Penny or her mother were crying. She turned her head toward the sound and saw another prisoner who from the look of her features , was one of their hosts . Judy craned her head to try and look into the other cubicles. By standing taller and craning her neck upward, she could see they were empty. "Where are the others", she asked. "Not here", her mother replied, 'perhaps they segregate prisoners ". Hey, you, tell us what is going on", she demanded of the alien girl.

That girl sobbed agin, louder and louder. Then in a hysterical screech that tore through them she stuttered "we are all going to die".

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Doctor Smith took another step forward, then another, he turned around looking behind him. "It's real", he said softly, "its real", that was a more joyous proclamation . He danced around in a circle then dropped to his knees and ran his fingers through the grass at his feet. Above him was a blue sky, with cotton white clouds drifting in a slight breeze, a large almost red sun, radiated warmth through his being. There was no way they could fake all of this he decided, especially since when he looked behind him he could see a portion of the space station resting upon the soft grass.

They had ,some time in the night somehow come down to a planet. He did not think the portion of station on the ground was capable of flying as the long grass around its base indicated it had been there awhile. So perhaps it was just a building made to look like the station. There seemed to be nobody around ,yet that there must be people somewhere, as he could just make out more buildings in the distance. He debated about what to do, stay here or go for a walk. Physical exercise was never his first choice and he turned to reenter the fake station. The door slid shut blocking his reentry. So now there was only one choice, he set off toward the other buildings.

At first it was a fast joyful pace , then he slowed, the structures were further away than they looked. He sat upon the hard ground to rest, he had neither food or water with him, which was a really stupid mistake he realised. Deciding to turn back toward the station he altered his direction. He had only taken about ten steps when he heard the sound of rumbling hoof beats coming his way. When he strained his eyes he could see a cloud of dust rising, something was coming at a rather rapid rate toward him. Suddenly fearful Smith looked around for somewhere to hide. A small cluster of bushes looked solid enough for an effective screen.

He crouched in the bush, his breath panting out between his teeth. Quiet Smith, he told himself. He held his breath. The sound of the hooves was close now, nearly right in his ears. Staring through his screen ,he could just make out the 4 feathered legs of some type of animal through a gap in the bush. Then 2 more human looking legs appeared as whoever it was got down from their mount.

Smith closed his eyes, as if it could make him disappear. He could hear breathing now. Then there was a little laugh and an elegant hand reached into the bush. "Come on out Doctor Smith, I mean you no harm", a soft female voice coaxed.

He stood up and stared at the vision in front of him. She was an older version of Lyric, with skin just a few shades lighter. Her eyes were a beautiful radiant blue that seemed to mesmerise him. "My name is Ollia" ,she told him, "welcome to Cerra , she gestured around her. That must be the name of the world. It was very similar to Terra, the name also meaning Earth. "This is your new home Doctor Smith". "Let me show you around", Ollia encouraged.

Smith reached out and she took his hand in her own. This is a dream he told himself, I am going to awaken soon. She lead him over to the animal, which was large ,with soft feathers covering all of its body. The feathers were dense from head to rump, yet almost absent on the legs. It slightly resembled a horse, though the three eyes were a little off putting. "Come ride Mystra," Ollia pulled him up and he encircled her waist tightly. 'Thats it hold on tightly Doctor Smith", Ollia encouraged.

Then they were off, at a swift even gait, that whipped his hair and made him suck in the sweetness of the air around him.

As the buildings in front of his got closer a tear of joy ran down his face at the sight and a warm feeling rose up from within .They weren't just any buildings, they were beautiful wooden houses. It felt like he was coming home . "This is our homestead Smith," Ollia remarked. There were about 30 homes in total, with the largest in the front and the others fanning out behind it in a small circle. He saw a glimmer of water in the distance. So far everything was perfect and it was hard to take in that this was actually happening.

The animal stopped in front of the largest house. It had three stories with a large balcony on the top. At the back was a swimming pool that was almost the size of a lake. Whoever owned this one must be important Smith decided. Ollia turned to him and told him something that made it even more like a dream, "this one is yours". "Mine", Smith rolled the word around in his mouth. This home was far larger than his one on Earth. '"Yes, it is very comfortable and has many pleasing features. But if there are extras that you desire just ask and they will be provided", Ollia smiled at him as she said that.

Smith was conscious of the fact his mouth had dropped open , "you are having a little joke with me", he told her. "Perhaps the Major put you up to that". Ollia stared, "a joke", she looked puzzled. "Yes, this is not real, or there is some catch, I would not just be given all of this without reason", Smith told her.

Ollia stroked his hand slowly and a warmth spread through him. She was now looking at him, like Gracie Masters, the last woman he had shared his life with. "Oh it is real and I believe you did want to settle with us. As Lyric told you we have only two criteria and you have passed the first one", she replied.

He stood trying to take it all in, it was magnificent. He looked around expecting to be greeted by some of the others. Although he should not be worried about them, somehow the question "and the Robinsons, Major West, what happened to them", slipped out.

"Not all of them met our criteria",Ollia said with a sad look. She held his hand tighter, "do not let it concern you Doctor, your place is with us now", she gestured to the house in front of him. Smith thought of Will for a moment, he was genuinely worried about what would happen to his young friend. "The youngest Robinson, William, what became of him", he asked.

"He has also passed the first criteria Doctor Smith", Ollia replied."However he is not at this location , these homes are just one of many throughout our world. William Robinson will go to one of the other homesteads". Smith started to relax, and as he looked at the house in front of him he conveniently blocked from his mind that perhaps some of the others were not so fortunate.

"Come let me give you a tour of our homestead. You can meet the other residents, then you can settle into your home", Ollia pulled him forward past the massive home that was now all his and toward the other more modest houses. He watched as the doors opened and people came to greet him. As he looked at each face, only one question came into his mind.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"This is always the hardest time", Lyric remarked as she watched the people through the hidden cameras. 'I wish they would just get their suffering over with and embrace their new life". She was looking at John Robinson back inside his room, sitting with his head on his knees and slightly rocking. Conley said nothing, his face was calm impassive, not showing the anger that had come upon him.

He knew Lyric felt no sorrow as she said the words, she was just impatient. "It is time to tell them the truth Lyric", he replied, "they are calm enough now". "Yes the first wave of pain has passed, but there it be another wave of suffering", Lyric sighed.

She found her eyes wandering toward Donald West who looked the calmest of the three males that were held captive. "It is unfortunate he is injured and has to be confined until he is healed", she mumbled. "Maybe not, because he just might be the one that causes the most problems", Conley predicted. Sure the Major looked calm, but sometimes it was the quieter ones who were the most dangerous.

"He is not going to get a chance to do anything", Lyric said firmly. She cleared her throat and spoke into a microphone, "congratulations, she told John, Will and Don", you have been chose as citizens of the world of Cerra. Last night you were transported from the space station down to our planet. Currently you are in the transition phase. Once this is over you will be free to enjoy your new home". She pushed a button and showed them some pictures of their world.

John was staring, it was like those brochures on Earth, of the most beautiful places. It was exciting looking at those brochures and dreaming of being there. So far this experience was more like a nightmare. The aliens had a strange way of welcoming people to their world. It was worse when he considered the fact they had been lied to from the beginning. He had only one question and he yelled it out , just to make sure they understood that those beautiful scenes meant nothing to him. "Where is my family", he demanded.

Lyric , said it in a dry voice, devoid of anything warm ,"your wife and daughters do not meet our criteria". John felt stunned, then horrified, "I do not want to settle on your world without them", he yelled firmly. So this was why this meeting was not face to face, they feared he'd be angry after hearing that news. They were not wrong.

"You have no choice John Robinson", came the stinging reply. "No choice, yes I do", John insisted. He could barely believe the attitude of these people. They were telling him this news just like the were saying something insignificant. "Let me out of here now or send me to my family". You cannot hold me prisoner against my will", John stated firmly. He was feeling more and more out of control. Usually he was the role model for the more volatile Major West, now all his self control had faded away. He really wanted to hit someone.

Lyric tapped a button and showed John a very different picture. It was an image of Judy, Penny and Maureen inside their tiny cells.

Terror rose up from within and John began to thump the walls of the room loudly with is fists "you let them go now", he insisted. He kept it up even when his fists began to turn red and bruised.

Lyric was studying her long fingernails, "this is so tiresome", she told Conley. It was time to stop John Robinson performing, to let him know the stakes. It usually worked well. Lyric looked over at Conley who has said nothing the entire time. He just looked calm, like her. Lyric blandly told John Robinson who was in charge, "No, John Robinson, I will not let them go. However if you cooperate I will not kill them".

Kill them, the words rocked John to his core. What type of people were these. How could they make threats like that. He was powerless to counter them , he realised . "Why are you doing this to us", he sobbed.

"Many years ago our planet suffered a tragedy that killed 90 percent of our male population. We needed a way to repopulate our world .Visitors were uncommon because our planet is situated in the heart of the dead space and most ships do not make it that far . So we reactivated an old transport device and returned to this station. It had been set up years ago to protect our world from invaders . We sat here and offered suitable male visitors a life upon our world. However we found many ,like you had families and would not accept our offer. We began to get desperate and decided to take the choice away". Since then our population has grown, though there are not enough males from compatable races . You and the others are the first ones we have accepted in the last two years"."It is an honour to be chosen to father future generations John Robinson. You should be proud".Lyric wound down her tale and looked at John to see if it had an effect. He still looked ready to kill her.

"Father', the word hit John hard, now he knew what they wanted with him, Don, Smith and eventually Will. He was beginning to feel really sick. No way did he want to have anything to do with these people. He did not want them to touch him. However he did have to take their threats seriously. The power, at this time, was in their hands. So he tried to negotiate ."Let Maureen, Penny and Judy go and I will accept your terms willingly. They can live with us on the planet. I am sure they will cooperate", John was not so sure that was true, especially in Maureen's case.

"No Professor Robinson, we do not need them on our world. They would add nothing to our society .The girls would not be accepted as breeding stock as we have harsh restrictions upon our gene pool. We cannot unfortunately ,let them go back into space and possibly warn others about our intentions".They will at least get a life on board the station". Lyric tightened the mental screws. "It is time to think of their long term wellbeing ". You must make this sacrifice for them".Say no and they will die John Robinson ,that is a certainty".

John, put his head in his hand as Lyric's words hit him like blows. "Shut up, go away", he yelled out. He did not want to hear more. All he could think about was being forced into the arms of another woman .Maureen, Penny and Judy were all prisoners and would be used against him. He had no choice left .This was horrible. He put his head back into his legs and began to sob.

Lyric was smiling , she knew she had him. He may be upset and angry now but that would fade. John Robinson would cooperate.

She switched off the speaker in John's room and activated the one in the medical centre. "He will take the news in a more calm manner I am sure. Afterall he is not married ", Lyric told Conley. "The one called Judy, said she has feelings for him", Conley responded. "Yes, but I am thinking that is just because she knew I was interested. Don does not reciprocate ,I am sure, Lyric said lovingly.

At this moment she wished she could tell him the news in person. But he was probably still going to be angry over being held prisoner .The Robinson and Smith were, at least travel mates, and he would also care for their welfare. He would need comforting perhaps and that should be her job. Afterall she may be one of those chosen to be part of the Majors breeding circle.

Maybe she should tell him the good bits first. Lyric told him about being accepted as a citizen of Cerra and put up a picture of the best home on the planet, "this one is to be yours Major".

Don looked at, what was most definitely not a house, it was a flaming castle. Shit, he thought, how did I deserve that. He felt himself go cold when Lyric told him what his role was to be. "You are the first male under the age of thirty that we have seen for fifteen years Major West. So there is alot of interest. As yet we are still taking bids".

Did she just say, 'taking bids", they were selling him off, this was just getting worse by the minute. "Of course you have some healing to do and we will take good care of you", Lyric said warmly.

Don was conscious of the fact he said nothing, he did not yell, noooooo, or have a massive temper tantrum and throw things ,even when he saw Judy locked in a cell. He heard Lyrics threats fall over him and just sat there not even moving.

xxxx

"There see, he took the news alright", Lyric said to Conley. Conley frowned, he had expected the Major to get angry and try to lash out at them. So far his reaction was not normal. It warned Conley not to underestimate this young military man. Donald West may be far more dangerous than Lyric realised.

"Well thats two down. You can tell the boy Conley. Because of his age, he will be resilient so I am sure his stay in transition will be a short one. His new family is anxious to meet him", Lyric announced.

She was unbelievably cold Conley knew. He was after all going to tell a young boy that not only would he no longer see his mother or sisters again, he would also be expected to leave his father and live with total strangers until he was mature. The news would hit him hard.

At least Conley thought he would not know the full truth, about the fate that awaited the female members of the family. Lyric had not lied when she promised not to kill them. But then Lyric had not killed the many other females they had held upon the station either.

Something else had...


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5- The run

Doctor Smith lay back on his new bed , smiled then burped loudly. He had just come from his welcome dinner at the large hall that was part of his new homestead. As head of this household he could have everything he wanted. Already he had given them a list of items that would make his life even better. Ollia assured him that the items would be obtained before the week was over. Of course he was aware of the price now. It was somewhat sobering to realize that only he, Will, Professor Robinson and Major West met the first criteria .The woman though could enjoy a life upon the station, it had nice facilities and he was sure Professor Robinson would be able to visit them there.

So all was well, he yawned, it was late already on this world and he was tired. Ollia had given him a few days to settle into life here before he started his duties. Turning off the light he drifted off to sleep.

It seemed like he had slept a long time but when he looked at the ornate clock beside his bed, it had only been 4 hours. What had awoken him. He looked around and noticed a sliver of light coming from under his curtain. Even that small amount of light disturbed him as he preferred to sleep in total darkness. Lifting the curtain he looked underneath. The closest home, Ollia's, had lights on. Smith frowned, it was early morning, a time when most people should be asleep. He wondered idly what she was doing at this hour. Of course he should roll over and just go back to sleep. But some instinct told him he needed to check this out. Padding through the darkness he made his way downstairs, then outside. The dimness of the light enabled him to see without needing further illumination. He walked slowly across the grass to Ollia's home. She had not bothered to close her curtains and he could see inside clearly. Just to make sure she did not see him spying on her, he crouched into a convenient bush. Ollia was seated in front of what looked a lot like a television. So that's all it was, she was one of those who had to stay up late watching their favourite show.

Curious, he wondered what was so entertaining. He could see the screen clearly enough through the bushes to be able to make out, the space station. So was this a documentary of some type . He crept further into the bush, until he got to the glass of the large window. By putting his ear to that window he could make out muffled sound from the television."Welcome to the Station, we are nearly ready for our next game of the run. Our contestants have been carefully chosen and are eager to satisify your entertainment wishes". Now he understood, this was a reality show of some type, like survivor. It was amazing that two different planets could have similar interests when it came to entertainment. This was obviously a popular show if Ollia was staying up this late to watch. Pictures of the contestants flashed upon the screen then and he felt his mouth go dry. Judy, Penny and Maureen were inside these little cages and the numbers across their doors were an indication of who to vote for. "Place your votes citizens and you stand to be a winner if your chosen contestant survives the longest", the announcer stated. "Survives",what the heck type of show was that. "In the morning the run begins and we release the Naloolab into all areas of the station to begin their hunt".

"Shit", Smith said the word loudly. Now he knew exactly what was going to happen to the others. In his hurry to get away he tripped over a low piece of branch and fell loudly to the ground. "Suddenly the whole area around him lit up brightly and he could see Ollia staring right at him. "I was just, wondering why you were up so late", he said truthfully.

Ollia was not angry about him spying, it usually happened at some stage. It was a good time to tell him everything, as he would at some point find out anyway. Keeping her eyes firmly upon his face, she told him. "The show ,the run, is our entertainment Zachary, those who are not in the breeding pool and those who break rules are sent up to the station. There they face a test of their courage and ingenuity . If they survive the hunt of the Naloolab" ,then they will be released and given much honour. You do not need to worry, this will not happen to you", she smiled and he relaxed, then her eyes flashed red and she added, "unless you disappoint us. Now Zachary you must be tired why don't you go back to your home now and we will see you in the morning", Ollia concluded softly. one finger ran down his face. That face, was now a study of fear. This man, she decided was not very brave. He would not volunteer to go and rescue the others, nor would he dare do anything to jeopardise his life of privilege.

Zachary Smith just stood for a moment feeling the coldness of the grass under his feet. Ollia was smiling at him warmly and looked like she was just expecting him to comply with her wishes. What else would he do, he wondered. Running away was out of the question. He guessed that was classed as disappointing his wives. You have everything you want, don't be a fool, he told himself firmly. Then without hesitation he turned and walked back to his home. Once there he crawled back into his bed. Maureen, Judy and Penny are in mortal danger, you coward, his mind told him.

Surely John Robinson and Major West would not just standby and do nothing. Yes, he convinced himself, they would act. He could just enjoy his life here now. So he closed his eyes and went back to sleep.

Xxxxxxxxx

"Who are you , why are you here and what is going to happen to us",the questions poured from Maureen's mouth. She was speaking very quickly as she tried to hold off panic. There was no doubt that they were in danger. But how bad it was she did not know. "My name is Caci", the young woman replied. "All I did was make one mistake and now I am condemned to die". It's all because Lyric does not want too much competition for the men on your vessel".

"For the men", Maureen was beginning to feel faint. "Yes our population is mainly woman. The station is primarily used as a way to entice visitors, we then send the males down to our planet. The woman remain here, where they are hunted by the Naloolab". "They are able to breathe oxygen for short periods and in that time they are set loose upon this part of the station."

It was sounding like they were caught in a nightmare. "You are one of our hosts , surely the others are not just going to leave you here", Judy reasoned. Her breathing had sped up and her mind could not quite grasp what was being said. There was some mistake she decided.

Caci knew the signs of denial well, all of the captives started like this. Except me, she thought, I cannot deny the truth. She gently told Judy. "We control our breeding program stringently and I was on the list to be eventually selected. In the meantime I could have a job as one of the masked ones aboard this station. However if you make one mistake, then someone else takes your place. There are so many woman who want to be partnered with the few males on our planet."

"That young one, Major West, will be the most popular of your group", she concluded. Maureen cast a glance at Judy who looked rather pale, but made no comment. She had not long ago proclaimed her interest in Don. Now she was saying nothing. Maureen felt disappointed in her daughter for a moment. Then she looked closer at Judy's face, some emotion was there below the surface, she suddenly realised her daughters silence was because she was beyond angry. Yet she was not experienced enough to know how to deal with that anger. Maureen bit off her own immediate response and went with ,"we thought you wanted to trade with us, instead you are a race of liars with no morality". "Who do we plead our case with".

There were reasonable people somewhere, she was sure of that. Caci actually laughed at that and Maureen felt her hopes die. "You are the trade", she said pointedly. "We get many benefits for supplying you to the Naloolab". Since it's just business ,the ones in charge do not care". "You can cry ,rant, scream, do whatever you like, it just falls off them like empty words ,"Caci remarked. She was of course speaking about herself as well. They had all become harsh over the years, a race who happily pointed fingers and accused others so they could live and that other one would die. Like most of her people ,she had thought she was immune from punishment, until now.

"Maybe if you actually survive, they might take notice. But nobody ever has", Caci looked over at the youngest of the Robinson's. Penny was shivering in fear with tears streaming down her face. She needed a cuddle , but they would not even allow that.

Maureen looked over at both of her daughters. Judy's anger had finally broken free and she and was hitting the walls with her fists and screaming, "let us out".Penny just sat there in shock her eyes darting toward her. Maureen would not let herself descend into misery as that would stop her from thinking clearly. Alright make a plan she told herself, there are ships on this station, if we lock ourselves in one of them we can contact someone who may help us.

Yes, she decided, that was a good enough plan. "We are going to get out of this", she declared firmly. "Penny, Judy, I know this is frightening. They want us to feel scared, powerless. Perhaps these people don't know what powerful women act like. So we need to show them".

Penny's head rose and she nodded, she trusted her mother.

"So are they watching us, then. Can they hear what we are saying", Maureen asked Caci. "They watch, but they do not listen. They do not care for drama, or anything overly emotional, they just want to take the benefits if they bid on the one of us that survives the longest."The announcer makes it seem like a game and I believe our people have actually forgotten that it is real", Caci explained.

It was good they did not listen Maureen decided, they would not be able to counter any plans. "We are going to act and get out of here". She looked at Caci. "We can use your presence as an advantage. You would know a lot about this place. Help us find a way to join the others". She thought she sounded inspiring. So she did not expect laughter.

"Many have been in your place Mrs Robinson and no doubt they thought as you do. They are all dead", Caci kept laughing, a tone that spoke of knowing her fate.

Maureen could feel the coldness in her arms and legs as the gravity of their situation took a firm grip upon her. They had no weapons , so could only use their cunning. She was still determined to find a way out of this situation. "Get ready ,the doors open in one hour", a voice proclaimed. "Hey you let us out, Maureen shouted. Just like Cali had said, no response came. "You bastards, how can you do this, we have done nothing to you", Judy's finally stopped hitting the door and used words of fire and passion. "If you want a fight why don't you face us in person. I am sure that would be just as entertaining". Judy realised she was prepared to fight her way out of this. That surprised her for a minute, then her resolve settled. She waited for a response.

Her words just hit the walls and bounced off. She did not know that Lyric was laughing.

xxxxxxx

"Did you place a bid on the blonde", Lyric asked Conley drolly once her laughter had died away. Conley nodded, "I think she may prove to be resourceful", he stated. Lyric shook her head, "she is just just putting on a show Conley. Once she sees the enemy she is going to cry a lot ,and probably die screaming ". I doubt she will last long".

"What about Caci", Conley asked. He watched Lyric's face searching for some sign of remorse. Cali did not deserve her fate, then neither did the others. "Good riddance, little sister", Lyric remarked coldly.

Conley swallowed sudden bile from his throat. He turned away from her for a moment. Now he was looking at the camera that showed Will Robinson, curled in a corner sobbing. The child had been like that for hours. He knew that Lyric was not bothered by the tears. All that was in her mind was the other one, Major Donald West.

When his console informed him of the results of the bartering for the young Major he wondered if he would finally see some emotion from Lyric. "The Kitterlie family have won the rights to both the Major and young Will Robinson Lyric", he stated.

Lyric went pale, "that is not fair Conley, one family should not have the right to barter for two of the males out of the four".

"They are a rich and powerful family Lyric and they have not had new blood for awhile now. There is no law against them having both Major West and Will Robinson since they are not related", Conley pointed out. She was upset he could tell. This meant her chances of being included in the breeding circle chosen for the major had just slipped to none. She was not part of the Kitterlie family and hence had no claims.

Lyric found herself hitting the console hard. She activated a button , "you must speak on my behalf . I wish to be bonded with the Major", she stated to the person on the other end. "It is out of the question Lyric. The bids are now closed". You will be considered for the next group of males we capture", the reply was firm ,cold.

What was that in her eye, something wet, cold. She hit the console again, harder. "When will that be, days away, months, it will probably be years and you know that. It is not fair. Please help me mother". You can speak on my behalf". Lyric stood tall, proud. She had served faithfully, she wanted her future with Major Donald West.

"No , I won't Lyric. Now stop being dramatic or I'll see to it that you are sent to the station" , Ollia told her daughter. Silly little girl, she thought. Ollia had six daughters and that was far too may. So it did not bother her if she lost one of them to the station. She would most likely have a few more with Zachary Smith.

xxxxxxxx

John Robinson closed his eyes so he did not have to look at the pictures of the planet that still flashed across his wall. All that beauty was not reflected within the hearts of the people who loved there, so it was not a place he could ever love. But he was not been given any type of choice, just told to accept his new future. That was also true of Smith, Will and Don. Smith would not cause trouble, he would simply believe that finally he was being given the future he had always wanted.

Will would be devastated about losing all of them. He really wanted to hold his son tightly. They would not even given him that. No contact and that was final. "Will has a new life now, one without you. He needs to get used to that and seeing you will not help him", Lyric had told him.

He had never really hated any of the other aliens that had threatened them. Now he felt a passion built of fire building within. He wanted an army to help him march over these people and take back his family. You are all alone, his inner voice reminded him.

Don was usually helpful in situations like this. But he was locked within the medical centre. Even if he had been free, he was injured seriously enough that he could not put up much of a fight. Would he even want to fight, John had to question. Was it flattering that a whole lot of women were interested in him. Maybe it was.

So that left him and a plan. Yet every time he thought of one it ended in the same place, with the injury or death of Maureen, Judy or Penny. He knew that Lyric was not lying about killing them. She would make an example of one of them just to show him how serious she was.

John knew his door was not locked. He was able to roam out of his room. Yet he could not find Will or the robot. The aliens were not stupid, divide and conquer, it was a common tactic. It was working he knew. John felt helpless. Yes, the aliens could be lying and his family could die anyway. Yet if he did act, that death seemed more certain. "What do I do", he asked himself. He wished there was an answer.

xxxxxxxx

Conley activated the door been the medical centre and the room where Will Robinson was held. "You are fortunate that you have been placed together. In two more days you will leave transition and be sent to your new homestead. Major if we have to send you in chains we will. Embrace this new life you have been given and forget about the past", he told them. He sat back in the chair, watching what would happen.

Don looked over at the open door, Will had not come through yet. He worried about that. Carefully sliding off his bed he stood barefooted on the cold floor. Pain shot through his middle, almost doubling him over. Nobody had bothered to come and give him more pain relief. He had been waiting for the door to the corridor to open. A plan had come into his mind. It was not his usual method of dealing with aliens, that involved a gun firmly in the face and telling them to get lost. He would happily have taken a rocket launcher to deal with these aliens. But he did not have any weapons and was simply too weak to use his fists. Not long ago he had almost died and it was only the quick actions of the robot that had prevented him from being shot. So he had to go for another way. All he needed was someone to come through that door.

Pushing those thoughts aside he slowly walked through to Will. His eyes blinked rapidly trying to adjust to the dimmer lighting on this side. Once they did he just stood still for a moment reeling in shock as he looked down at Will Robinson. Was the boy even alive. He lay curled in a ball, his face obscured by his sodden hair . The source of the wet hair was immediately obvious, a pool of tears, vomit and urine surrounded the boy. He had been so terrified by his treatment so far that he had simply lost control over his body. Don hurried to crouch by his side, not caring about how painful that was. He was almost too scared to touch Will.

His hand reached slowly to Will's head then gently he pushed back the matted hair to see his face. Instant relief hit him, Will was still alive, though he was in a catatonic state. Right now he would want his parents, his sisters and maybe even Smith, he felt like a poor substitute.

Don sat down by Will's head not caring how wet the floor was underneath him. He lifted that head and cradled it gently on his lap. One hand kept stroking Will's head while the other found his limp hand and clasped it within his own. "Will, you are not alone', he told him.

All thoughts of his plan vanished from his mind as he held Will. He had been going to carry out a subterfuge , to pretend to love Lyric, accept this new life and get her on his side. Then would come the betrayal. Part of that plan would be telling Will to suck it up and accept things. But as he held Will he realised he could not carry out that plan. No matter how hard he tried he could not act well enough to convince them he did not hate them and everything they had to offer.

A tear leaked out of his eye then. It was the first time he had allowed himself to feel the emotion of this situation. Breaking down totally though would not help either of them. He needed a new plan.

Don had spent enough time locked in the medical centre to scan every part of the room. There was nothing he could use as a weapon, they were not stupid enough to leave a scalpel or drugs just lying around. He had gained though some information that might prove to be useful. But he could not act alone.

Will started to sob again and Don leaned over him, holding him tightly. "Will, he whispered, "we need to get out of here". To do that I need your help. They are watching and most likely also listening to everything through cameras. I know where that camera is located. You can disable it and we can find your father, then plan to rescue the rest of your family".

Don doubted the aliens could hear his words over Will's sobbing. Maybe it made no difference anyway because Will was still crying. It seemed his presence was not enough. He felt useless again and lifted his hand from Will's to scrub the moisture from his own eyes. He closed his eyes, sealing away his own emotions. That was when he felt the hotness on his cheek as flesh touched his face. Will's hand was stroking him, his fingers lightly rubbing away the tears.

Will had never seen Don cry. It at first surprised and shocked him. Don was always so brave. Yet he understood why the pilot cried, because he loved them . Don would probably never say the words, but the tears spoke clearly to Will. He squeezed Don's hand tightly letting him know that he supported his plan. Together they were strong and soon they would act.

xxxxxx

The doors to the cages opened and a rush of cold air assailed them. Caci immediately leapt out . The others she noted hesitated. "Run", she told them. "If you do not the Naloolab will be released in here with us".

Maureen quickly grabbed Penny's hand on one side and Judy's on the other. "We must stay together ", she told them. "We will try to make it to the Jupiter". Caci stood by their side. She figured she had the best chance of staying alive by helping them.

Together they began to run.

On the other side of the station doors also opened . The Naloolab could smell the flesh of the humans. They could track that scent anywhere.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6- days of fear

Smith's sleep had been interrupted by nightmares. He lay staring into the darkness and feeling slightly sick. Rising out of his bed, he padded downstairs to his kitchen. Something to eat and drink just might help his mood. Yet looking at what was on offer just made his stomach churn some more.

Over in his living area was a television. He turned it on. There he saw Maureen, Judy and Penny hand in hand running down a corridor. Behind them was an alien girl, who kept looking backward as if expecting something to descend upon them at any moment. Smith found his hand in his mouth, chewing on nails ,he was shaking. "So now you know", the voice made him jump. He turned away from the screen to see Conley calmly sipping water in his kitchen . "What are you doing here", he asked. "This is my home Smith. Or it was until you took my place. I suppose Ollia, did not tell you I was once her partner."

"No she did not", Smith admitted. He wondered what the man was doing here now. "So have you moved on then, found another woman", he asked. Perhaps it was jealousy and Conley had come to hurt him. So far though he was just drinking. Conley snorted, "we don't find another woman, Smith, we are allocated to a breeding circle. My time is over now", he stated.

He looked over at the television, "they are always so predictable", he stated. Smith could not help looking at the picture. He could see the Robinsons were heading for the ship. Coldness was settling upon him. "How will you feel when you see them die Smith", Conley challenged. "Maybe it will be okay because you are safe. But the next time it could be one of your children".

"One of my children", Doctor Smith repeated the words in a far away voice. Conley heard an almost puzzled tone, "oh come on Smith, haven't you figured it all out yet. Criteria one, you have to be a male, Criteria Two, you have to be fertile". He came close enough to look into his face. "Don't you have offspring already", he asked curiously. "No", Smith said softly . "You are not here just to laze around and enjoy being with all those woman. They only want you for one purpose. After that, it will be over for you,Conley", told him.

Smith began to shake, "all over", now he was sounding like a parrot. "Yes, think about it Smith, have you seen any men older than me on the planet", Conley challenged. "I thought they were elsewhere", Smith's words stumbled. "Yes they are, most likely lying in a heap of bones upon the station." "It is everyones fate at some stage Smith." I am just telling you so you can get your plan ready. You have to have a way to survive the hunt. If you do that then you can keep all of this", Conley concluded.

Doctor Smith found himself sinking into a chair. His mind was churning. Conley did not have to tell him all this, so it was obvious he had a reason. Then the words, it is everyones fate", came back into his mind. "Are they sending you up there soon", he asked. Conley nodded, "there is no love here Smith, I am both a husband and a father. Yet they will still send me to die. Let me tell you a story. Years ago, I was on a ship heading for a new life with my own family. We stopped at the station. My family was wrenched from me by Ollia, who then just expected that I become her partner. I told her to stuff that, I would never cooperate. They have ways to convince you Smith. Over the years I have been conditioned so I just sat there watching others die in the run. I could not feel or think, that is what their methods did to me. One day though my mind awakened and ever since then I have been making plans. If they ever catch me, then most likely I will die straight away. So the stakes are high", Conley concluded.

Doctor Smith, could tell by looking Conley in the eyes that his story was true. He had seen a lot of pain and suffering. There was a lingering look of terror, that clung to him. He was risking a lot even sharing his story. 'You are telling me Conley, I could just go and pass it on", he suggested. He was not going to do that, he just wanted to see the mans response. Conley just shrugged, "everyone has a plan Smith, its not uncommon. Most of them are just wild fantasy. So if you feel that you need to tell Ollia I have a plan, then do so. You will gain nothing in return. One day, you will still be sent to the station".

The truth was very painful and Smith could feel himself trembling. There was no easy life here.

"What are you going to do",he asked Conley. "That you do not need to know Smith. I do not trust you that much.""Well I must go now. I just dropped by to give you the full story", Conley turned away walking calmly to the door. He was nearly there when he turned, to give Smith that last piece of information. The one that just might make him act. He needed Smith to distract Ollia so much that she would not notice he was escaping. "By the way, your friends do not know the truth Smith. They think that the woman are having a nice life upon the station. Even if they did know they are watched all the time, just like you will be for the rest of your life. They will not be able to act. Now you know everything Smith. You will live a few years of comfortable life, of course the price is high but you will be alright if you cooperate ".Conley turned back toward the door then stepped out. He did not look back.

Doctor Smith collapsed into the chair as his legs just gave out from underneath him. He was facing the television and could see Maureen and the others had nearly made it to the ship. 'they are always so predictable", the words came back to Smith. If Conley thought that then, maybe the aliens chasing the women may have similar thoughts." Smith found hot tears streaming down his face. he could not just sit here and do nothing. Inside of him a passion was rising. He leapt off the chair and raced out his door. His legs moved faster than they ever had, away from his fantastic house and toward the portion of the station that rested upon the ground. He needed to see real people again, ones who cared and who were actually his friend. Right now he would happily hug Major Donald West and ask him to forgive him for every unkind word he had said. For all of his rather surly attitude at times, the Major had far more humanity than these aliens ever could.

Of course he had forgotten that he had come here on the back of an animal . Thus it was farther than he thought. He pushed his body hard, sucking in gulping breaths as he ran. Trees streaked by, he was amazingly fast for a man of his age. It was fear giving him almost wings. But he could not even see the station ahead of him yet. His legs were beginning to burn. That sensation turned into deep pain that had him choking and gasping. Eventually his legs gave out from under him and he hit the ground hard.

He lay there gasping for breath. Just a little rest, he told himself, then you can continue onward. How many more miles did he have to go, that he did not know. What did he even hope to do once he got there. He just had to try to find find John Robinson and the robot. Standing back up he wavered on his feet. His legs burned like he had stepped into a fire. Tears began to streak his face.

All had been quiet up to this moment, now he heard hoofbeats approaching. Looking behind him, he could see dirt flying through the air as a group of people mounted on steeds approached him. Conley's words about making him cooperate came back to him.

Shutting out the pain of already tortured muscles, he began to run again. Yet it was more like a lurch. He looked like a zombie, trying to drag its rotting legs onward. He gritted his teeth and stumbled along. The hoof beats were getting closer ,thumping sounds jolted through his ears. His body was slowing despite his best efforts. Was that why they fed him well, so he could not run. He was panting so hard he thought his heart was going to stop. The hoofbeats were right behind him now. Then a hand reached out and pulled him backward. He found himself in the grip of Mailyn, another of his 'wives'.Behind her another 5 of them all just stared at him. He could not help noticing the fact that weapons rested at their hips.

Mailyn was strong, lifting up and off the ground, he flopped about a bit, arms and legs spinning, she did not drop him. The others laughed at him.

He ignored their attitude telling them loudly, "I regret to inform you that I no long wish to be your partner. Let me go and find my friends". No", Mailyn told him bluntly. "We paid good money for you, so you stay". She actually shook him hard. Smith was exhausted, he could not fight anymore. But he could still battle with words, "one day it will be you on the station, or you", he pointed his finger at each of them slowly, hoping to see the fear. Mailyn just laughed, "we control who is sent there Smith and none of us will be going ,ever"."So you have seen your former crew mates there and know that most likely they will die horribly. We do not care about their fate." Those words chilled him as they were so cold. Surely they had some fear there, or some type of emotion. He tried something he thought was even more powerful. "Don't you care that your own children will die". Mailyn just shrugged, "they have a chance Zachary and that is enough." It is just part of life", she told him. "Now as for you, I think you need a little lesson". She shook him again, jarring his already painful muscles. He actually cried out. She did not stop, shaking him until he finally said, "please stop'. "Now you are getting the right attitude Smith". But you still need to be punished".

"Let me show you another part of your home", Mailyn said. Suddenly the other women were there surrounding him. He was lifted onto the back of Mailyn's steed and bound tightly. The hands of the woman were rough, bending his arms back at an angle that caused more pain. He was jabbed a few times by their fingers. All of them had the hardest disapproving stares upon their faces. "It's not going to be a comfortable ride back", Mailyn warned once he was secured. She was right, every thump, jarred right through him. Tears ran down his face as he was carried back to the homestead like a piece of baggage. Once there he discovered his house had a cellar. It was dark inside and the floor was a soft dirt that flew up as he was thrown hard onto its surface . "You will be left here without food or water until tomorrow Smith. Then if you do not see sense we will have to try something else. We can get you to cooperate chemically". She looked into his face then slammed the door hard.

He lay on the cold ,dirty ground. At least he was alone now and they would not harass him further. Then pictures began to flash upon the cellars white wall as they somehow projected what was happening in the run. All his self importance was finally gone as he slumped down and dissolved into pitiful moaning. He could not help looking at the wall and watching Muaureen holding on tight to her daughters. She did not look terrified, he reflected.

He should be the same. If she could face death with some sort of decorum then so could he. There had to be a way to escape and now he was determined to find that way. When they opened the door tomorrow he was going to be gone.

He closed his eyes tightly then reopened them hoping that they would adjust quickly to the darkness. "I will show you", he told the air.

Xxxxx

Caci, looked down the corridor of the station, it was still empty. That was strange. Ahead of them the pathway to the docking bay of the Jupiter 2 was clear. All that stood between them and the ship now was one door. That fact made her tingle all over. Where were the Naloolab . A horrible suspicion came over her and she reached out to grab hold of Maureen, pulling her back when she was about to open the door . 'No", she warned.

Maureen, turned to look at her sensing the panic. 'What's wrong', she asked. "It is the obvious hiding place",Caci told her, pointing toward the door to the ship. "That's not right ,how would these Naloolab get upon the ship", Judy pressed. Caci was just jumping at shadows. Judy reached out to pull the door open. It was merely a crack, yet it was enough for a long brown leg to push itself out. Caci screamed loudly, "see, they have predicted your actions". She turned and ran away from the Robinson' down the corridor. Maureen did not try and stop her, she was too busy trying to help Judy and Penny push the door back. The brown leg was fighting hard and soon it was joined by another leg. They could feel themselves losing a battle with the door. Maureen looked back, searching for a hiding place. "There", she pointed to a small gap under what was most likely a hidden door. "We will need to slide under", she told her girls. "Ready, release the door on three, then run", Maureen instructed. She kept her voice calm controlled, not giving into the terror that coursed through her being. In a moment they could all be dead. "1, 2, 3", Maureen, Penny and Judy turned and ran not looking behind them .

They could hear it though, the scratching of multiple legs as it barrelled down the corridor after them.

Xxxxxxxx

Will was standing under the shower in the medical centre letting the water wash away the rancid smell that clung to him. The running water was also a great way to muffle the conversation he was having with Don. Will still felt this ache deep inside. He needed to see the rest of his family, to know that everything was alright. That did not seem to be happening .At least he was no longer alone. "I think that there is a central control room somewhere Don. Thus affecting things from this side is not going to be easy. As soon as the picture goes off, they will send guards to investigate", Will told Don. It sounded defeatist he knew, but it was the truth. They had to be careful as getting caught trying to escape would probably only make things worse.

Don thought about that, "it would have to look natural, or some type of accident that they caused". Will closed his eyes letting his mind wander into possibilities. "The second one sounds like our best chance". Perhaps one of them could cause a temporary overload, that in itself is not hard to achieve". Will knew that they at least had medical equipment in here and that could provide circuits they could use. He turned off the shower and walked out of the small cubicle with a towel wrapped around himself. He had another draped over his arm. That he used to dry his wet hair, then carelessly threw it over one of the large machines. He bent over as if trying to dry his feet. In reality he was using the movement to cover his actions. It was not hard to remove the panel at the bottom of the machine. "I am going to make a small bomb", he told Don, 'nothing that will hurt them but it will cause an overload in the control centre. We will still need someone to carry the device", Will announced. He was now moving to drying his middle. His hands though were under the towel and he was fiddling with the circuitry. Don knew that getting someone in here, was his role."Let me know when you are ready, "he told Will. "May be it is time for me to act up a bit".

They did not know that there was nobody in the control room at that time. Lyric was having a break, believing that Conley would return to begin his own shift. She was feeling angry and with that anger came some uncharacteristic thoughts. All of them involved her having a life with Donald West and did not include any of the other women. She could she decided, make it happen, take him and then head for a remote place on the planet. The others would search for them though and if she was caught, she would just be shot on the spot. Nothing would happen to Don, he would just be sent to his homestead.

Caci began to cry. She was not brave enough to act, the risk was too great. If there was a way she could flee from this place and they could not follow, that would be her ultimate dream. But that seemed impossible. For the first time she hated this life and what it meant.

Xxxxxxxxx

Conley marched into the room where the robot worked. The machine turned to greet him. "How is the work proceeding", he asked. "I will need parts that cannot be found upon the Jupiter 2", the robot announced. That made his plans go into a spin, he had over the years carefully scavenged the parts he needed from other visiting vessels. As he got older though he found his eyesight was not up to the hard task of rewiring. Finding the robot was, he believed, a chance for his plan to finally be concluded. Now though more problems seemed to stand in way. He could not wait for another craft to dock at the station, that might be years away.

Then the robot offered him some hope. "Those parts are available within your own systems", it said. With that hope came risk, someone was going to notice if major systems started to fail.

"If you get those parts, can you restore functionality", he asked. The robot, nodded its whole body, "yes", it stated. Conley took a breath, he was about to pass the point of no return. "Very well, do it", he instructed. The robot paused, "I have yet to hear from Professor Robinson", he stated.

"The professor is busy Robot. He cannot talk at this time", Conley repeated the same line. He noted the machine had paused in its work. It obviously felt something for the Robinson's, which was rather a strange concept. How could something that was not alive have emotions. He was with living people who seemed to be more mechanical than this machine.

"Finish the work Robot and I will find the Professor", Conley lied. He watched the machine hoping that his continual stalling was working. Luckily it did continue to work and he breathed easier. His plan was nearly ready.

xxxxxxxx

Maureen, Penny and Judy ran faster than they ever had before. Their feet almost skidded upon the shiny surface of the corridor as they went. When the small gap was in sight they all ducked downward and used momentum to slid themselves under anther door.

Once inside the three sat panting. They could hear it outside scratching its legs down the doorway. The solid whiteness of that doorway suddenly melted away and they could for the first time see their enemy up close.

It was huge, the giant six legs working together to try and force the opening in the doorway wider. Its mouth made hideous clicking sounds, like it was frustrated that its meal had escaped. The long white fangs dripped something clear and unpleasant looking onto the floor of the corridor.

Maureen guessed that somewhere the controllers of this nightmare had made the door visible. They wanted to see their fear. She looked around the room, there was no other exit. So they were trapped. Most likely that small gap in the doorway had also been engineered, a rather obvious trap that they had blindly run into. Maureen found the hate she was experiencing to be a new unfamiliar emotion. She tried to believe there was good in everyone.

Now at the hands of aliens she was forced into thinking otherwise. "Can it get the door open", Judy asked fearfully. "I hope not", her mother replied in a soft voice. Judy looked at her young sister. Penny was up close to the door staring the nightmare, right in its face.

"Penny come away from there", Judy told her sister. Penny backed away slowly still staring. She loved creatures but had to admit to herself that the ones that attracted her were cute ,often fluffy and of course easily bribed into being friendly. This thing was none of those. It was in fact one of the most hideous things she had ever seen. The long legs clawed at the doorway but it did not use the needle like teeth to try and rip the door open. Perhaps those teeth were not as solid as they looked. The creature stopped for a moment and it seemed to be staring at her. It had six eyes, at least 15 centimetres each, of a solid black. Then the legs came back, its spiny portions ripping at the doorway, tap, tap , tap, 8 times in total, then pause for breath. The hole at the bottom of the doorway was slowly getting bigger.

"I remember Caci saying it can only breath oxygen for a short period of time", Judy stated. She and her mother were at the far end of the room, as if distance would save them when finally it broke down the door. Penny stubbornly, continued to watch, though Maureen guessed she would move once the door was breeched.

All they could do was was wait and hope that the creatures ability to breath the air gave out before the door did. "Tap,tap, tap, tap, tap, pause, the legs moved again, and the hole grew...


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7- The best made plans

John Robinson finally slid himself off the bed and shook himself firmly. Sitting here staring at the walls would accomplish nothing, he decided. If these people thought he was going to cooperate he would be moved out of here and sent to his homestead. That would mean any chance of finding Will would be gone. He walked out of his room and along the white corridor. It did not take him long to discover that the layout had changed slightly. He could no longer get access to the medical wing. The pathway to the door that led outside was still avaliable though. One step in that direction and he would be telling his captives the wrong message. Instead he ran his hands along the walls, seeing if he could determine the placements of any other doors. He put his ears to the walls as well, hoping they were thin enough that he could hear if any areas beyond were occupied.

At the moment though he could only hear his own breathing. It was like he was alone, abandoned here. He had to restrain the urge to thump on the walls to demand that anyone spoke to him. This illusion of isolation was just a tactic to get him to want to leave. Keep searching ,he told himself ,Will and Don were here somewhere. He moved downward, toward the end of the corridor. Here he could feel a tiny gap in the white wall. So possibly there was a door. Putting his head to the wall he listened. There was no conversations, just a sound that was muffled, yet familiar. "Robot", John called out.

Inside the room the robot stopped as it recognised Professor Robinson was calling to him from beyond this room. In front on him a bland white wall gave an illusion of solidity. There were no obvious controls so he simply sent a blast of electricity out of his claws and hit the entire door. Somewhere there had to be components that would be effected by his actions. Moments later the door slid open.

John ran forward and enfolded the machine in a hug, his arms right around and squeezing tightly. He was just so relieved that he was no longer alone. "It is pleasant to see you also Professor", the robot acknowledged joining his two arms together and returning the hug. He could read clear panic in the Professors demeanour and found himself feeling a sense of 'warning danger", coming upon him.

Professor Robinson told him in a broken rushed voice that indicated deep stress, "thank goodness, I have found someone to help me. Maureen , Penny and Judy are all being held captive upon the space station and Lyric has threatened to kill them unless I cooperate and become the mate of many women on this planet. This place supposed to be where we are prepared for our new life. That involved severing all ties with your old one thus I have been told I will never see Will again", the Professors voice broke at that point.

The robot took it all in. He recognised the practice of lying within their hosts and felt disturbed by the fact he had complied so easily with their requests. All he could do to make amends was tell the Professor the truth, "I did not realise John Robinson. Conley kept me distracted by other tasks." I stand ready to assist you".

Finally John felt an attempt at a smile emerge. Now he had found the robot nothing was going to stop him freeing the others. "Good, do you happen to know where the transport device is located. That would be the quickest way back to the space station". We will rescue Maureen and the girls first, then come back for Don, Will and..."John paused he had no idea where Doctor Smith was located. "See if we can find out what happened to Doctor Smith", he added. It was possible that they would be leaving without Smith but they would deal with that issue later.

The robot sagged a little and John found himself feeling puzzled. 'What is the problem", he asked. 'I have disabled the ability to transport people from this planet to the station", the robot announced. Unfortunately this system is no longer able to be repaired."

John was stunned, "why the heck would you do that", he found himself yelling as his plans got disrupted with a rather hard smack .He could feel the gloom descending upon him again. Then the robot moved aside and John got his first good look at all the consoles behind the machine. "The parts from the transporter were used to repair this,"the robot announced gesturing. John breathed out a sound of amazement. "Conley wanted you to do this", John asked in disbelief. He was forced to reevaluate his impression of the man. 'Yes, he did not say why. But it is now fully functional", the robot remarked. "Well, this means my plans alter", John stated. "We now need to find Will and Don first". That should be easy he decided.

Moving back toward the doorway John and the robot stopped when the door opened.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Doctor Zachary Smith hit together two stones he found lying amongst the dirt and with the aid of some of his hair produced enough of a spark to set alight a portion of his shirt. He held up the temporary torch and quickly used the light to ascertain his chances of escaping through the door.

It was heavy, old and when he kicked it with his feet, very solid. There was no possible way he could break that door down. Swallowing sudden fear, he kept looking. In the darkened corner was a pile of debris and when he went closer to that point he could swear he felt a rush of air sweep by.

He began to move some of the debris working fast before his torch burnt out. There behind the old pieces of wood, he saw a small gap. So there was possibly a second exit. He wondered if the women were watching him, and would soon descend upon him to stop him escaping. Well there was only one way to find out. Quickly transfering his dying torch to an area of ground along with a few of the dried up sticks, he then set to work removing the remaining rubbish that was blocking this opening .Nobody came to stop him and hopefully that meant the woman were confident enough that he could not escape to not be monitoring him.

Within 15 minutes he had the gap clear and he peered into it hoping to see a glimmer of light . The darkness of a passage welcomed him , he could not see the end but guessed it ran under the length of the house. Anything could be inside this space, it could even be blocked. But it was a better option than waiting for the door to open again.

His breath puffed out from the work and he groaned as his already tired muscles protested. If he ever worked like this on the Jupiter, he would then have a large meal and lie down and sleep. A rumble in his stomach reminded him that food was not an option. His lips were dry as well and already cracked, that would only worsen as time went by.

He gathered the large dry sticks, he would have to use them like candles and keep hold until the stick was nearly burnt, then transfer the fire to another one. How many he would need, he did not know, though he doubted this small passage extended beyond the house. His clothes would have to be fuel for the fire, so he ripped off the remainder of his shirt along with the legs of his trousers. Now he looked like a castaway.

Bending down, he held the smoldering stick out in front of him, then slid along the ground on his stomach into the gap. There was not enough room above for him to stand. He had the feeling of being trapped, which made panic rise up. You cannot do this, his mind and body both told him loudly. At that point he almost turned around and went back. It would be giving up, he knew, a surrender to his life here on the planet. Clouds of dust were surrounding him obsuring his view. His torch was only smoludering by a mere miracle. Just keep going, think about something else, he told himself. Like a snake he wiggled along, inch by painful inch. There had to be an exit up ahead, once he was out from under the house. That thought froze in his mind as the tunnel suddenly dropped down. He only had moments to try and make a vain grab for the too soft dirt before he found himself falling into a hole.

It was not a long fall but the impact jarred his whole body making him curl up and moan as he lay there in the darkness. Finally the pain receded a bit and he lifted his head to look around. Strangely it was not totally dark, a faint blue glow was coming from up ahead of him. The dim light enabled him to see that he had fallen into a large tunnel. Looking upward he could see the opening to the passageway above. However he was not tall enough to reach the opening and there was nothing to stand upon, so he could not go back. Moving toward that strange glow was his only option.

Smith swallowed down his fear as he moved closer to the light. There was nothing here that could hurt him he told himself firmly. This tunnel had been made by someone though as it was obviously not natural. It was huge as well, extending out several feet into the darkness. Perhaps there was some sort of power plant ahead of him, that would certainly account for the glow. He had not seen any signs of power poles on the planet so their source of energy must come from somewhere.

Moving onward he reached a point where the glow was even brighter. There was a small stairway upward to a higher portion of the tunnel .This is where he knew he would find out what caused the glow.

Confidently he stepped upward, proud of himself for figuring everything out. As soon as he saw it Smith found himself screaming and walking backward so fast that he fell. Lying on the ground gave him an even better view of the horror ahead.

In front of him a massacre had occurred as the bones that littered the ground bore massive holes that spoke of suffering a violent death. Most of those bones had an unearthly glow that seen shivers of fear coursing through him. He half expected this mass to rise and chase him. But nothing moved. It was still creepy as somehow this whole area felt different, like a weeping open scar that could never heal. Something horrible had happened here and it had left its mark upon the area.

Possibly the glow was caused by some type of radiation. That he could possibly end up the same way was an even more horrific thought that stalled any movement.

Ahead he could see another tunnel, it was possibly the way to freedom. But to get to it he would have to cross this mass of death.

Smith knew he was facing a test of just how brave or perhaps desperate he was.

Xxxxxxxxxx

When you are in a room with a scary alien trying to break down the door, time seems to stand still. Maureen did not know how long the terror had lasted. The thing had stopped trying to break off a portion of the door a few minutes ago, though it still tapped its long legs in an impatient manner upon the surface .That tapping was beginning to get to her. A few times she caught herself almost yelling stop . Judy had her hands over her ears, obviously feeling the same. Penny though just watched the leg moving.

When two more larger aliens came skittering around into the corridor, Maureen thought that they we're seeing their certain death. The other two things just stopped though, behind the smaller one, seemingly watching what it did. Perhaps they were its parents observing its first kills. That thought made her shudder.

Again she felt like she was poised on the edge of an abyss of darkness ready to swallow them whole. It was hard to feel any hope. Snap out of it ,she told herself, we are still alive. Maybe they needed to talk so they could all concentrate on something other than the giant bugs. "Why has n't dad come ", Judy asked. It was a question that hung there like the horror, because it could have many possibilities and none of them were good.

"I thought nothing would stop him coming for us", Penny said softly, she looked over at her sister," Don too", she added.

The use of the pilots name made Judy put her head down to her knees and sob loudly. Maureen enveloped her in a hug, squeezing tightly. "I am guessing the two of you are no longer together', she paused and sighed, "regrets are hard to live with at a time like this Judy".Even though things did not work out I am sure he is still your friend. Hold onto that". It was not much she thought but it would have to do.

Penny was looking at her sister intently and Judy had raised her head from her knees to return the stare. Some silent communication was passing between the two of them. Judy finally shook herself and came to a decision, now was the time to tell everything. "Actually you are wrong", she told her mother. "I know I have certainly given the impression that I don't want him. Maybe it has taken this time of trial for me to decide that I can face an uncertain future with the man I love". She look a breath, "we both want our husbands back", she told her mother.

Maureen realised her mouth had dropped open and she was staring at her daughter like she did not even know her. "What', she squeaked out. "Don and I got married in secret mother", Judy told her. "When Barnam came visiting that last time he told us he now had a license to preform intergalactic marriages. So I asked him to marry Don and I."

"I know you and dad said awhile ago that if we wanted to get married we would have to wait. Well I could not wait any longer". Judy sighed again, "the trouble was that as soon as I said I do the fear came tumbling in upon me. Instead of standing by his side I took off. When he tries to speak with me I just walk away because I did not know how to make amends. He must think I am a silly little girl", Judy cried some more.

Maureen stroked her daughters hair, "Judy what you did was not uncommon. I spent most of the first weeks with John crying. It was a big adjustment to go from a young woman who had spent her life in her parents home to a wife and potential mother. There were times I was not sure I had done the right thing, even though I loved John passionately. It is always different when you live with them full time. For you and Don it will be even more difficult as we are all crammed together in a small space. "You will both have to work it out together."

Judy stared at her mother, she had expected to get a telling off for not listening to her father. "Don is going to have to talk to your father", Maureen concluded. Judy felt relief hit her. She had thought she was abnormal for suddenly chickening out on Don after marrying him. Now she knew it was simply nerves. She did really love him, she felt warmth fill her for a minute before coldness returned. How could she even contemplate a life with Don when she was facing certain death.

Turning to look that death in the eye, she noted that the alien bugs had all gone from the doorway. "Congratulations you have survived the first run", a voice boomed. "After a rest period of one hour the second run will commence".

"We have to make a plan", Maureen told her daughter. 'Yes, mother you are right, I think I have one", Penny told her mother. Then she added a few more words, "you are not going to like that plan".

xxxxxxxxxx

When Conley had returned to the control room, he found that Lyric was still absent. Most likely she was sulking in her room. She had been cautious enough to lock the camera that observed them into a loop that showed an earlier time period when both of them were present, that trick would not fool their overseers for long.

He was about to return the camera to normal when he noticed that John Robinson was not in his room. In fact he was not in any of the monitored areas. Conley swallowed, he knew the door to the outside had not opened, thus Professor Robinson could only be in one place. Now his plan was now poised on a knife edge. Grabbing a weapon from the storage locker behind him, he ran out of the control area and toward the secret room.

Conley was not thinking about the risk anymore. He knew that he needed to activate his plan before Ollia found out and sent in a squad to shoot them all. He of course had done the same trick to the camera as Lyric while he snuck into the room. But he had never been gone long enough to raise alarm bells and had always chosen a time that Lyric was on her rest period so that she would not be suspicious. The robots removal of equipment from the Jupiter 2 had been approved so it would not be commented upon that it used the transporter between the station and the planet. He just had to make sure it was never observed going into the room.

He had been so cautious that his plan had taken years. Bringing in the robot had probably not been a good idea he reflected. But it was too late now. He was going to have to deal with the machine and the Professor.

If he had known that while he was running down the corridor, Lyric was entering the control room, he would have felt even more panic.

She observed him vanish into a wall and not appear on any of the other cameras. Wondering what he was doing she left the room and raced after him.

When she reached the same position she discovered the hidden doorway. Overiding the controls, she barged inside.

There she found Conley, Professor Robinson and the machine simply known as The Robot. Conley was pointing a weapon at them. She pointed hers at the whole group and demanded in a yell, "what are you 'doing'". Conley just moved to the side a little and enabled her to get a good look at what this room contained. She heard herself gasp audibly. It had never occurred to her that this part of the station could fly.

"I have had enough of this world, of all of you", Conley told her defiantly ."Over the years I have carefully used parts from ships visiting the Station to repair this ship. Of course I had to wait for someone who could actually fly the ship to come along as well. Now I have the robot I am going to get away from here. Too long I have watched you kill others upon the Space Station and treat it as entertainment. I am going to put an end to what happens there".

John Robinson found himself going white and swaying as the word 'kill ' hit him hard. Conley looked at him sorrowfully, "I am sorry you had to find out the truth like that. Your family is in grave danger".

"Yeah and you did nothing Conley to prevent any of it. Years and years of death has happened and you have sat there watching, so don't put all this blame upon us", Lyric spat out.

John looked Conley in the face, he was feeling very angry, "she is right Conley, you could have told us. We would have helped you with the repairs to this ship".

Conley shook his head and pointed his finger at Lyric, "they watch our every movement Professor. It has been risky for me to even attempt to repair this ship. It has already nearly taken a lifetime" .He swallowed, "I came here under similar circumstances as you and also had my family ripped from me and sent to the station". After that I refused to cooperate with their breeding program, so they drugged me. Those drugs also inhibited my ability to feel anything or to want to act. Now I am no longer wanted for breeding they have stopped giving me drugs and clarity has returned to my mind. I know what they have done Professor and I am sorry you and your family is suffering but I did what I could."

Although he was beginning to understand Conley's dilemma John still could not push aside the anger, "did you even intend to take us with you to the station", he asked.

"No, that would have been too risky". I was going to wait until all of you had been taken to your homesteads", Conley explained.

"Well now he knows Conley and so do I. Stuff going to the station, I want to get well away from this planet. Robot you will do as I say , not Conley", Lyric insisted. She waved her gun at John . "No robot, my plan is the one to follow", Conley threw back waving his own weapon.

They began to argue and the Professor watched anxiously as he saw their fingers twitch upon the triggers of their weapons. He and the robot were in a direct line of fire so he did not move. But he did have a way to put an end to this battle. "The robot can't fly this ship", he stated.

"What", Conley and Lyric both said in shock. "The monitoring system on the station picked up your craft a few miles out and the machine was definitely the one at the controls", Lyric remarked. They had gotten it wrong John realised, "the ship was already programmed to dock on its own . The robot was just overseeing things. He can make minor adjustments to the flight if necessary. But you need an experienced person to lift off this ship and then dock it with the Space Station" .Then he told them the rest, "Major West is our pilot".

Lyric smiled at that, maybe she would get some time with him after all. "So we just go and free him and your son and blast off", Conley announced. He ran over to one of the consoles and checked on the readout.

It seemed to take him awhile to come back over to them and when he did he was white . He and Lyric had been gone from the control too long and something rather significant had happened in their absence. Conley could see Lyric and John Robinson staring at the expression on his face. He knew he looked like all hope was gone. Now they were about to feel the same. "Major West and William Robinson are no longer here, they were taken on the journey to their homesteads over 1 hour ago. "It happened because the Major tried to escape and unfortunately got caught", he told them.

Lyric began to cry, "we will not be able to catch up with them".

John simply slumped to the ground and put his head in his hands.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8- Taking a risk

Don tried not to move too much. The bonds on his arms and legs were tight, though they were not painful unless he struggled.

Of course it was not supposed to end like this. It was all because of one thing, the person that walked through the door to the medical centre had not been Lyric.

He had loosened one of the sutures in his stomach enough to cause some minor bleeding then waited for Lyric to come to his rescue. Placing the small disruption device upon her had been their best chance of affecting the controls enough to be able to escape.

When the door opened he lay flopped into a suitably pathetic looking position. The first ones to enter had all been masked and there were 7 of them. They took up positions around the room all facing toward him. That made him nervous. But he shrugged off his feelings telling himself that Lyric was just being cautious. When an unfamilar tall alien women entered he felt this anxiety heighten. She was even more gorgeous than Lyric and he could not help staring. "I bet you expected Lyric", she announced as she approached him. He did not answer because at the moment he was still transfixed by her. There was something otherworldly about her that had an almost hypnotic effect. She did not come right over to him simply strutting over to an arm lengths away and standing their poised like a model.

"Lyric will not come in here again Major West". She is not allowed the pleasure of being with you. I am though", the vision announced. She looked down at the blood patches upon his middle. "Now how did you do that sweetie", she asked. "I don't know", Don finally found his voice. He make sure he looked scared and uncertain. He wanted her to get close enough to place the device. She did not move though just stating, "really ,well I think I do. I have a feeling you did it to yourself sweetie in order to get Lyric in here." Then you could use her feelings for you to change your situation. I am sure Lyric has made it blatantly obvious she adores you. It would be easy to manipulate those sort of feelings to your own advantage. Darling it is a clever plan but it has been done before", the beautiful woman told him. Now she moved close enough to touch him, placing her cold hand upon his stomach. Since she was busy looking in his eyes it should be easy enough to carry out his plan. Don carefully moved his hand behind her intent on placing the small device on her back.

Seconds later her hand moved from his stomach to curl tightly upon his wrist. "Whats that you have there, hmm". She forced open his fingers and found the small disc. "Oh you are a clever one. I bet you would have managed to get this device upon Lyric". "Your act won't work on me sweetie". She ran her fingers across his face.

"My name is Arina .You are going to be my husband. I was going to take you and the boy with me tomorrow. But since you have enough energy to attempt tricks, then you should be able to travel today. Bind him", she ordered the women.

Don had not resist when the masked women stepped forward to restrain him. He did not want Will to be used as a means to ensure his good behaviour. The youngest Robinsons eyes were closed as he pretended to sleep. If any of the woman had gotten close enough then he would have placed a device upon them.

Now that he had failed in planting the device, he had placed suspicion upon Will. Arina ordered him to be searched and the second device was quickly found. Will began to cry as the woman surrounded him and tied him as well.

"Oh you look so sad Donald West," Arina observed as he lay bound hand and foot upon the bed."Don't worry I will take care of you". Then she bent over him and attempted to kiss him on the lips. Don had moved his head so her kiss met the cold hard metal of the bed.

"Oh naughty, naughty," Arina just laughed at that, "you have spirit Major, I like that. You can fight all you want, but you cannot win". She snapped her fingers and suddenly the women were there holding him still. His head was held by 3 of them. Then Arina kissed him firmly. She gave him a scowl when he did not respond. "You will learn Major", she warned

"Carry him out now ladies. Then bring the boy, we will leave as soon as they are loaded", Arina ordered.

He was taken outside into the darkness, there awaited a carriage drawn by 4 amazing beasts that resembled feathered horses. Don found himself inside the carriage with Arina pressed against him firmly. Will was placed upon the seat opposite. "Your new homsetead is up in the mountains. Its going to be a long journey Major. But it will give us plenty of opportunity to get to know each other," Arina told him.

The masked women all stood around the carriage, it looked like they were not coming on the journey. When Arina ordered "go to the control room and check that all systems are functioning normally then find, Professor Robinson, Conley and Lyric, restrain them all and lock them within their rooms", he knew he was not the only one in trouble. Arina traced one overly long nail down his face as she added, "the Professor will be sent to his homestead . Conley and Lyric will face execution for dereliction of duty .That is what happens when you push your luck too much". By letting him hear this she was warning him that even he was not exempt from death. "Go now ", she ordered the women.

Once they were out of his line of sight Don got his first real look at the outside world. There were lights around this portion of the station that illuminated much of the land around them. The light enabled him to make a quick assessment about where he had been held.

Looking at the station then back at their mode of transport a question come into his decided it was safe enough to ask , "I would have thought you had faster methods of travel than this. That ship, is technically advanced, yet that level of technology is not mirrored out here". Arina's eyes went slitted like a snakes, "well we did want to leave technology behind once we landed upon the planet Major. It makes life complicated sometimes"."Yes, I guess. But if you have a spaceship then why bother with the space station. You could use the ship to find other worlds and gain trade that way", Don countered. Alina just stared at him and there was something in her gaze that made him shiver. Why did he have the feeling he had said something wrong. "Enough questions", Arina snapped "I would advise that you get some rest sweetie. Once you are recovered enough you are going to be very busy", she grinned at him then without warning leaned over and kissed him again.

He tried hard to ignore Arina as she lay dangled half over him. "I am sorry Will, that our plan did not work". Will rubbed his eyes, they were red from crying. "It is your fault I won't see dad again", he sobbed. Don looked away. Arina laughed and rubbed her hand along his arm softly, looking into his eyes and told him bluntly, "yes darling it was your fault"."Escaping is not really your forte. I would not try it again because next time I will have to punish you."

Don knew she was serious about that. Across from him Will had turned away his head against the window of the carriage, sobs still issued from his lips. "He hates you for your failure", Arina whispered in his ear. Don felt a hot tear escaping again. Arina put her finger on the drop and wiped it upon her own face. "Oh sweetie, you are upset now". She smiled widely, "I can help comfort you". He closed his eyes refusing to look at her. She stroked his face. "I can't wait to get home ", Arina announced .

The carriage started to move .Don leaned his head against the side of the carriage and watched as the station slowly disappeared from view. Now it was dark around them and he could just make out the ghostly shapes of trees as they went by. As yet there were no buildings. After about an hour he began to feel slightly sick from the movement of the carriage and his middle began to throb . It was going to be a long and painful journey.

He looked over at Arina, "I don't feel very well, can we please stop". Arina looked at him slowly obviously assessing the truth of his statement. Then she nodded, "very well, we will go and visit my mothers homestead for a few hours". "Just in case you get any ideas, I will not be releasing your bonds and you will remain locked inside the carriage".

Don nodded weakly and closed his eyes. He felt Arina's hand upon his head. This time she was feeling to see if he was hot. He did not move. It was better if she thought that he was incapable of causing any more problems.

xxxxxxxxxx

Crunch, Doctor Smith winced as the sound of bones breaking under his feet assaulted his ears. He sunk down slightly into the mass and made a rough estimate about the amount of victims . The sea of bones was much more dense than he had first thought. Bodies must have lain over the top of one another. There would be thousands of dead here, he thought. That thought made him retch. Doubled over he heaved and coughed for a few minutes before he finally got himself in order again. Keep going he told himself.

Crunch, another step forward through the mass of death. It was like walking through sand sucking you down and making your legs heavy. It was almost impossible not to look at the bones, some glowing ,others not.

Maybe Conley had been wrong when he thought all the victims of the Space station were left there, Smith reflected. This could be the mass grave where they dumped all the dead. That would be an awful lot of victims their entertainment methods had claimed. Since there were no gravestones it seemed like they did not mourn the fallen on this word. How horrible he reflected.

Placing his feet downward yet again he found that he could not pull his right foot back upward . "Dammit". Now he had to reach downward into the mass of bones to try and find why he was stuck.

His fingers pushed aside bone after bone until finally he found the one that had clamped around his ankle. It was like one of the skeletons had grabbed him. That was a shudder inducing thought. Of course all that had happened was that his foot was trapped in a hole in the bone. He pulled tightly for a few seconds without a result. Taking a deep breath, he settled his feelings of panic then used every ounce of strength he had to pull up his ankle while pushing hard upon the bone. The bone shifted and his ankle with it, finally he was free.

His whole body shook with exhaustion and his legs simply folded from under him. He fell into the mass of bones, not really caring how uncomfortable they were. Sudden movement of those bones startled him. He watched as in front of him the bones started to disappear. When he thought about the reasons for the movement a lot of scary , horrible and probably not even possible reasons came to mind. Pushing those thoughts aside he found logic. Most likely there was a hole in the ground beneath him and the bone he had shifted had been the plug. Now other bones were being sucked downed and him along with them.

He was too exhausted to fight so just closed his eyes and surrendered to his fate, which was most likely death.

His skin rubbed against bone as he was dragged forward. That bone was now up to his neck height as he was slowly dragged under, not long now he told himself gloomily. He felt the pressure reach to his chin.

Then suddenly all movement stopped. Smith opened his eyes and found himself looking directly at the tunnel that led out of this mass grave. He had been carried along far enough that escape from this pit was not only about 1 metre away.

Laughter escaped his lips for a minute and he let himself rest in the bones for about 5 minutes. Then he slowly dragged himself upward and began to move forward again. He found it easier this time as the bones beneath his feet were not so dense. It took him another 20 painful minutes before he finally made it out of the pile of death.

Now he did not stop moving, rapidly continuing along the tunnel. That tunnel was not straight and he had to almost zig zag at times. He also seemed to be going upward which lifted his spirits even more. Another half hour passed and he saw a sight that made him actually start to run, stars. Finally he had made it out .

He burst from the tunnel and threw himself down onto soft welcoming grass. "Yes", he proclaimed with a laugh, "nothing can defeat Doctor Smith". Then he had a good look around him and decided he had been wrong.

Just a short distance away was his homestead. He had basically just walked around in a giant circle for hours. Smith stayed sitting and decided that he was beaten. He would make his way back to the homestead and rest until morning.

With stumbling steps he wandered closer. There was small building just to the side of the homestead that would be more comfortable than the cellar. He swung open the doors , and sunk down onto the soft ground. Closing his eyes he let himself drift into sleep.

As his body slowly shut down he became aware of a sound nearby. At first it was a scratching sound that got louder, then some type of muffled grunts . He suddenly snapped to full alertness as he realised he was not alone.

xxxxx

It had been awhile since the voice had announced ",the second run is now commencing". They remained inside the room, with the slightly bent door protecting them from the aliens. Penny had wanted to stay here as long as possible and Maureen was not sure that was a wise idea. The only place they could be really safe was away from this space station.

As they watched the small alien bug appeared in the corridor. It crept closer to them then stopped just a short distance away. Opening its mouth, it dripped a purple drool onto the floor. The mess lay there shimmering before eating its way through the floor. So it had some sort of toxics saliva, just wonderful, thought Penny. She was up so close she could see all parts of the bug .

"How can you look at that thing", Judy protested to her sister."We need to know more about them Judy and watching them is the only way we can do that", Penny replied.

The bug moved its long leg downward again to the doorway and began to tap again. It was, Penny noted the same pattern as before. "That noise is like nails down a board", Judy complained. Maureen agreed with that. She looked over at her youngest daughter and noted that she seemed to be talking to herself. Penny was trying to give them any advantage over these aliens . But when the bugs were this close it felt like death was staring them into the face.

When the tapping suddenly stopped and the bug turned away Maureen found herself feeling anxious. She could see the bugs long antenna waving about, like it was picking up information of some sort. When one of the larger bugs came into the corridor she knew she had been correct. That one stopped as well, its own antenna waving. "So they are communicating with each other", Penny surmised. "That at least tells me they have some sort of relationship".

"They are pack hunters, like lions", Judy remarked shuddering at the thought. "No", Maureen disagreed, only that smaller one has tried to break down the door". The other two have not done anything yet".

"So are there only three of them", Judy wondered. It was a good question. There could be even more of the creatures somewhere, which was a rather horrible thought.

The three bugs stared down the corridor, like they were waiting for something. When Caci, came running out of a door that just appeared seemingly from nowhere, Maureen for the first time actually let out a shriek .It seemed the bugs had known she was coming. The largest one which was a few shades lighter than the others placed its body by the still open door preventing Caci from retreating. Now she was trapped.

Maureen and Judy found themselves moving forward to join Penny at their own door. There was very little they could do to help Caci at the moment. The little bug was still turned away, focused upon Caci. It did not seem to react as their own door slid open.

Penny beckoned them forward slowly, silent steps until they were actually standing inches from the back of the bug. It still had either not detected them or was not concerned about them. Up this close the body of the bug looked like an armoured car, with thick overlapping plates that would protect it from attack. Since they did not have weapons attack was out of the question. It would also not be wise considering how close the other larger bugs were. They could attack in seconds if provoked.

Maureen looked around for somewhere they could run. Another door opened, an invitation to enter. This action cemented the idea that somehow all of this was being controlled. She swallowed, did that mean their fate was already sealed.

"Caci",Penny called out, pointing toward the other door, "run". The smaller bug turned its head as the three of them ran from behind it toward the open door.

Caci ran after them, her breath audibly panting from between her lips. Her face was ghostly pale and sweat dripped down her face. She felt like she was going to die as her already stressed body caused pain to ripple through her increasingly violently. It was only mildly reassuring that the Robinson's caught up with her. Penny reached out and took her hand. None of them looked back at the three bugs that were only a few inches away.

All of them scrambled down the long white corridor ,their mass of human and bug legs tapping out a rhythm upon the hard floor. The women ran through the open door into a small room. Then quickly out the open door on the other side. For the next few minutes time blurred as they weaved in and out of several smaller rooms . Finally they found themselves back in the long corridor .It only occurred to them at this point that the bugs had not followed them into the rooms.

They were of course waiting in the corridor ,all three together in a line blocking the way back. Before they could react the doorway disappeared again giving them only one choice of direction.

Looking down Caci began to cry. "Thats why they do not follow", "they have us trapped , there is nowhere else to go". In front of them was the red line and crossing over it meant certain death as they would leave this oxygen filled environment and enter the bugs world. "That is where the other bugs are", Judy guessed they stood on the edge of the line.

The smaller bug inched forward its legs tapping the ground and the two larger ones for the first time started tapping also. Beside her Penny had her eyes closed, unable to look at them any longer. Judy had just frozen, too numb to do anything else. Caci sobbed relentlessly. Maureen felt her own tears fall, as she felt the shadow of death fall over them.

xxxxx

Back in her homestead Ollia was smiling, when people died the ratings for the program rose dramatically. They had never had all the victims die at the same time before. These people were a risk Ollia decided and she needed to get rid of them quickly.

When a knock on her door sounded she grumbled as she got up to answer. "Come in quickly, I am missing the best part of the show", she told her visitor.

That other woman plonked herself down and the couch. The two of them watched as Penny Robinson dragged her sister and mother over the red line. Caci, though just screamed at them and ran toward the giant bugs. The smaller one seemed startled by her movement and let her slip by. The two larger ones made a grab for her and Caci found herself flying through the air as one of the giant legs circled her ankle and pulled her upwards.

Ollia found herself swallowing and strangely she reach forward to grip her visitors hand. In seconds her youngest daughter would be dead. She stared at the screen awaiting the final moment. Suddenly the picture cut off. Ollia swore loudly.

"What just happened", she demanded. She went over to the side of the television and fiddled with the switches. "The fault is not here, the control room at the station has just gone off line". It looks like some sort of disruption device was used".

"Her visitor paled, "well ,well, that was very clever Major West", Arina complained. Ollia stared at her, "I think my new husband had a plan in case he was captured ". She gritted her teeth," his tears and the boys were all a trick to let me think I had the upper hand".Arina clenched her fists and actually growled, "Still he cannot cause any more problems at the Station as he is out in your stable. I made sure he and the boy were adequately secured. West will have to learn never to try that sort of game again". Ollia was still staring her daughter. Arina had always been her favourite because she was a deep thinker who did not let others get the better of her. Now Ollia found her anger rising as she told her ,"if he did all that Arina, then it would follow that he must have thought of a way out of our clutches."

Arina swallowed hard as she raced out of the room and toward the stable. She noted that the door was still locked and turned to grin at Ollia. Her mother just shrugged and opened the door. The stable was empty.

"You left him locked in there with the means to return to the station, that was so stupid Arina", Ollia stormed. If you are going to lock them up make sure they can never get away." She stomped across the grass toward her home, 'I have had problems of my own and locked Smith in my cellar." She opened the door, "see that it what a beaten man looks like".

Arina noted that the cellar too was empty. "Well we know where they are going mother", she noted. 'Yes", Ollia agreed, "it seems like they all may die upon the station. Such a waste". She walked back to her home with Arina following slowly after her.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9- the condemned

Inside the spaceship John Robinson now had to trust two of the aliens who had held him captive. He could almost feel the air crackling around him as he warily watched Conley and Lyric. Both of them wanted the upper hand that would hopefully turn what was so far a disaster to their own advantage. Each one did not want the others presence as they both had different agendas. They were also armed and he had no doubt that both were capable of killing.

He was still not sure that he could trust Conley. The man had been conditioned for many years to accept the way life went on this world, thus he could easily suddenly change sides. John it felt it was up to him to defuse this situation. He knew the robot could easily deal with both Lyric and Conley and would act if the situation escalated out of control.

"Lyric put the weapon down ,shooting us will achieve nothing", John said to the young woman soothingly. That directive seemed to have little affect ,Lyric looked both angry and upset, her finger twitched upon the weapons trigger."It may mean that I will survive", she countered. Conley laughed, "really, how naive Lyric. With the transporter disabled Ollia will not be able to send you up to participate in the run. So she will just shoot you." Do not decieve yourself."

John could see sweat dripping off the young women and knew that she realised Conley was speaking the truth. She was still trying to fight though, somehow believing that it would all work out.

He was trying hard to feel that same emotion. But all that came to mind was frustration and anger. If Don was here right now, he would be yelling at him for being an idiot. He had put everyones lives in danger by trying and failing to escape. Don and his son were obviously together and John could not stop worrying about Will's fate. Add that to the fears for the welfare of his wife and daughter and he had a situation that could end in tragedy. He could do nothing to help either of them and that was the worse thing of all. His fate rested in the hands of the two aliens. Could any thing else go wrong he wondered.

Beep, Beep, Beep, when a red light started to flash, John saw tears roll out of Lyrics eyes and felt that his last thought had just become a fact. "They are coming for us", Lyric stuttered in fear. "Is that true", John asked Conley anxiously. The older man nodded, "that sound is a warning that an armed security team is searching the statiion. They will eventually realise that there is a hidden room and try and force their way in here. We will be outnumbered and outgunned", he warned.

"Dammit Don, you fool", John actually let he words out. "I would agree', Lyric stated, "now they know he will not submit willingly." Conley could feel Professors John Robinsons mistrust , he was not sure of his intentions which was understandable. But they had to be united now and that meant telling John more about what had happened to his son . "They left Will, crying in a pool of his own vomit for hours Professor. Since he and the Major were going to the same family I put them together. Your son was tended to and soothed by Major West. After observing first hand the callous attitude of his captors he was never going to submit. He would have wanted to get Will back to you and your love."The Major will pay dearly for betrayal as he will be drugged and forced to submit like I was." Now John found himself swallowing hard as he regreted his harsh words. Don had been there to support Will, which should have been his job. He looked over at Lyric and felt his anger rise again, "how could you be so cruel to a child", he growled

Lyric shrugged, "enough both you", she snapped. She was aware that continuing on with this type of talk just added to the tension which played into Conley hands. She needed to at least calm the situation down. "We have to put what has happened aside for a moment .What is going to happen has to take priority". John reluctantly agreed with that, fighting amongst themselves would only end in their deaths. At the moment there was no one trying to break the door down, but that would change. He could imagine the armed force searching ,they would be combing every area carefully. That would take them a few hours. So they did have a little bit of time on their side thankfully. "Can we do anything to stop the security force from this room", he asked Conley. 'No, the control room influences all the major functions of the station", Conley told him.

"All we can do is watch them come and at least prepare ourselves for the inevitable", Conley ignored the fact that Lyric's weapon was still pointing at him and activated the internal cameras. At first they only saw two masked women searching the recreation area. He felt relief at that. That feeling quickly vanished when the other guards came into the range of cameras in their areas. All together there were seven of them. Each one carried one larger weapon in hand as well as a smaller one attached to their belts. They looked like they knew what they were doing. John swallowed and felt his anxiety peak again.

A patrol of two aliens entered the control action caused another red light to flash ,which was followed by an ear piercing alarm that made him wince. Conley managed to keep Lyric in his line of fire while he turned off the alarm. He smiled slightly and seemed more relaxed. "That alarm was a notification that the control room just went off line. Some type of disruption occurred that has disabled all the monitoring devices on the station. Now they have lost the ability to know what is happening".

Lyric frowned, "that could be some type of fault though the timing is very fortuitous" ,she noted. "Yes , those guards would have been in contact with your son and Major West. It could be they had a plan just in case they were captured", Conley remarked.

Now John found a smile emerging, "Will, did it", he explained. "My son is an expert at all sorts of devices and would have manufactured something to disrupt your controls.' Conley mulled that statement over and made leap of faith in thinking., "Then it would follow that they have a way to escape from their captors and make their way back here".John breathed out a sigh, now he really wanted to give both his son and Don a huge hug and say thank you. "All his effort will be for nothing if that force catches us", Conley reminded John. He looked over at Lyric, "now my daughter, you must decide to either help us or betray us", he stated firmly.

John felt his eyebrows raise. He would have never known these two were related if Conley had not used the term daughter. "My relationship with my daughters is a lot different", he observed quietly.'Yeah well I am just their sire not their father, right Lyric", Conley asked. Lyric nodded slowly, it was true, she had no relationship with this man, her mother and aunties had raised her in the ways of this world. She had only seen Conely on the times he had shared her mothers bed. Caci, Lyric, Arina, all of them are my daughters Professor and not one of them cares anything for me". Conley let a tear roll down his face, "I had a daughter who did "."That is why I am doing this. I know you feel angry about my initial inaction but I find it very difficult to trust anyone. It is that type of world".

John found his suspicion receeding even more. He could see that Conley found it hard to even cry. His recovery was going to be a long one. If we get out of this alive, the Professor added that thought. He would like to give Conley a hug but the man was still armed. He watched Lyric warily, mistrust clear in on his face and in his posture."Chose Lyric", Conley demanded.

Lyric felt her own tears fall. She was stuck with two choices that could both end in death. So she had to go with the one that had the best chance. She lowered her gun and Conley after a few minutes did the same. "Alright, I stand ready to help you fight them", Lyric agreed. Idly she wondered what would happen to her once she had aided them.

Xxxx

The feathered horses sped across the landscape. Their forms almost blurred as they moved and large clumps of dirt flew out from beneath their hooves .Will held the reins carefullly, and clicked his tongue against his teeth to encourage the animals to keep going.

Don lay back against the walls of the carriage staring at the man opposite. Doctor Zachary Smith was quiet and that was a stunning fact. Finding Smith in the stable with them was admittedly one of those oh no, I just found the worst person to have in a crisis moments. He had expected drama and lots of complaining. What he had gotten instead was a hug. He had been too shocked to respond to that gesture.

Smith was staring at him like he had two heads,he knew that was because his behaviour thus far was confusing the man. When Smith had found them inside the stable he and Will had already been free. Don had been confident enough that once the aliens discovered the devices on both of them they would not search further, thus he had both another device and a thin wire he could use to cut bonds hidden elsewhere on his body. Then he had made his injured state work for him, letting Arina see his distress and pain. It made it easy for her to comply with his wish to stop.

Inside the stable they had met Smith, who looked like he too had suffered. He admitted that sadly the door had locked behind him and thus they were again trapped. Don knew he expected him to either blast the door down or kick it angrily until it fell apart. Driving the team of animals though it would have been satisfying but also very noisy. So he had simply picked the lock. Smith had watched him all the time with one eyebrow raised. He had never seen him do this before, so he supposed his reaction was understandable. Probably the doctor thought that he, the 'Mr follow the rules to the letter, Major would not know how to sneakily break into or out of places. He was not going to tell him how he learnt this skill.

Once the door was open he gently soothed the frightened animals, running his fingers through their soft hair then encouraging them forward until finally they stood outside. The animals nuzzled him softly and made cooing noises that sounded friendly. Again Smith had seemed surprised by this gentle approach , he had probably expected him to swear at the beasts. He admittedly did feel like his accident had changed some things about him. But he had not seen those changes as positive until now.

Smith still had not said one word, so Don asked, "are you alright". A sucking breath tinged with pain was his response, then soft words that chilled him to the core, "they locked me in a cellar but I found another way to escape, right through a graveyard. There were thousands of skeletons there, some with horrible glow and all of them bore evidence of a violent death".

Don thought about that for a moment, "So perhaps they do not always lie", he stated. "Lyric told me they treated the victims of a war, perhaps that is where the battle happened".

Smith, breathed out, trying to get himself into a place of calm and out of the horrors that loomed in his mind. "Maybe that is so, though 'I thought they could have been vicitims of the run", he stated. "The run", Don queried. Smith felt himself go pale as he remembered the fact that Don had no idea what was happening to the female members of the Jupiter 2. He looked over at Will who was concentrating on the animals, the boy could hear every word they said. Smith lowered his voice whispering into Don's ear, "the women are being hunted by those alien bug creatures on the Space Station. These people believe it is a type of entertainment."

Don felt himself go dizzy for a moment. Smith hand was there on his arm and he did not try to shake the man off. "That's barbaric", he finally managed to say. 'We need to help them". But that he realised was not going to be easy.

"So what's your plan Don", Smith asked. The use of his first name was another unnerving thing about Smith. Part of him wished the man would go back to complaining because he knew how to deal with that side of the man.

"We need to get to John. When we left the spaceship, an armed force consisting of 7 individuals was searching for the others", Don explained. "Oh great, and we have not even one weapon between us", Smith remarked. It was more of an observation than a moan, which was remarkable. Smith must be really shaken Don realised .

"Well we are not in a position to use force, so a weapon would not help anyway", Don told him. That comment made the Doctors eyebrows lift again. 'You are acting out of character Major", Smith stated. '"Yeah, well so are you Smith", Don observed.

Smith shrugged, "I have my reasons", he explained. Don accepted that. Will turned around to look at both of them, searching their faces earnestly. He was not used to a united front from them. It was a good change to have them agree. "Did you say spaceship", Smith suddenly asked. 'Yes, we were held inside a ship. If it can fly then, there is definitely something we are not seeing going on here". Some of their captives could have escaped ages ago or some of the women could have attempted to find a life on another world. I have to wonder why they did not", Don cautioned.

Will nodded, he agreed with that assessment. He too felt that they were missing something.

"So what are we going to do once we get back", 'Will wanted to see his father desperately. The trip back would be faster as he was pushing the animals to the limits of their speed. The carriage was bucking and shaking a lot, though it did not seem in imminent danger of falling apart. He was more concerned for Don, who looked ghostly pale and was obviously trying not to throw up. All the jolting must be aggravating his pain. Indeed when he spoke the Major could barely manage a whisper. "Smith, you are going to run around in a panic and thump on the door demanding they come out and give aid to your unconscious friend", Don explained. Faking that is going to require some very good acting Major, those women will be on their guard as soon as they see we are not with their colleagues", Smith warned.

Don bit his lip, 'its not going to be an act", he told them softly.

xxxxxxx

Inside the spaceship, Conley, Lyric and the Robot formed a front guard as the got ready to open the door. They had already been locked in here together for about two hours hashing over their plan. They figured that that amount of time was safe enough. The armed guards had a lot of ground to cover in the station. Hopefully they had not yet realised there was a hidden room. They had to take them out in pairs or singly before they could form a united front.

John was still unarmed. He asked for a weapon, but Conley had said he could not give him one. That comment made some doubt about Conley's intent creep back into John's mind. He could tell by the look in the mans eyes that he knew where the weapons were. Perhaps Conley feared that once he was armed he and the robot would gain the upper hand and leave him and Lyric on this world.

John knew he would have to keep watching the man and be ready to act if he suddenly turned on them.

Conley held up a hand in a wait gesture then ,used three fingers for a count down , until he opened the door. It was a military type of gesture, that made John wonder if the man had been a soldier . He obviously knew enough about Spacecraft that he could begin repairs, even if he could not actually fly .

"Stay together", Conley advised. That comment was more for Lyric's sake John thought. He did not trust her either.

The robot rolled itself out first into the white corridor, "there is nobody here", it announced as it waved a floppy arm to motion them forward. Conley organised them into an arrangement that had him taking point, John and the robot in the middle and Lyric at the rear, another military act. All the doors of the ship were open now, meaning the guards could appear at any moment. Conley moved silently, his gun at the ready.

When they reached the first door, Conley held up his hand in a stop motion. The robot rumbled into that doorway, leaving them standing on either side to catch anyone that came running out unaware. It was a nerve wracking time standing there ,as John was painfully aware that the guards could come upon them from other directions. He held his breath as the minutes ticked away. Thankfully no one appeared in the corridors .Finally the robot reappeared, "I have disabled 2 of the guards", he announced.

Now there were only five, which was much better odds. Just as John thought that, all 5 armed women come out of another doors and saw them. 'Stop now", came the directive. John was aware of the tension in the air. If either Lyric or Conley fired first then they would cause the other women to take immediate action. He was thankful they held off. "Drop the weapons", the women demanded .

Conley ignored them, "We have captured, these two", he told the women as he indicated toward John and the robot.

John felt sudden coldness creep back as he wondered for a moment if Conley was actually acting. "Very well then, Prisoners, you will approach, Conley ,Lyric ,you will stand there and wait to be restrained", one woman ordered.

"Restrained", Lyric remarked. She could feel her panic rising. "You will have to await disciplinary action, by orders of Ollia Firebrand", came the instruction. Lyric knew what her fate would be, Conley had been correct. She felt her finger tighten upon the trigger. Then suddenly Conley's hand was upon her own and he was pulling her gun away. "Do not be foolish, they will kill us ", he chastised.

"See, I have them firmly under control", Conley told the guards again. "You will have to plead your case with Ollia. Lower your weapons, we will not ask again", came the directive.

John swallowed ,he felt like they had lost. Conley too had gone pale and slowly let his gun drop. Just as the guards were about to move forward a loud screeching noise ripped through his ears . The guards could not help all turning away from them in shock. In that moment they had the upper hand and they all rushed forward.

The robot fired out successive bolts of electricity that instantly made the guards fall to the floor. John ran past them toward the sound, he had known straight away where that noise had come from, Doctor Smith was having one of his frequent panic attacks.

The door to the outside was the only one that had not opened when the control room was disrupted. It must just be on a manual control John thought as he searched for and then found a way to open it up.

He only had about a second to look at Smith before he was rushed by a familiar young man who leapt up and into the arms that he had instinctively opened wide. "Dad", Will sobbed loudly. "Will, John felt his own tears fall as he whispered his sons name. They held each other tenderly, not ashamed that both of them were crying. Behind them Smith seemed to have something in his eye that caused him to rub it a lot.

Conley,Lyric and the robot joined them a few seconds later and were scanning the landscape anxiously. "Don is inside the carriage . He's unconscious", Will told them.

Conley could feel his plans slipping away again. They could not get off this world without a pilot.

John held onto Will tightly while he went to the carriage and opened the door. A pale Don was slumped against the walls .

"I can attempt to rouse him", the robot reported. John breathed out a sigh of relief and nodded. He moved over to let the robot work.

The machine zapped Don with a low level jolt of electricity. It acted like a stimulant and soon Don's eyes began to open. John hurried over and lifted the pilots hand into his own.

"Ohhh hi dad", a groggy Don proclaimed as he looked up to see a familiar face staring into his own. John guessed disorientation was making Don say unusual things. He probably thought he was back on Earth with his family. "Don, it's John", he said gently.

Don of course knew exactly where he was and who was holding onto his hand. He had been in so much pain that he had inadvertently blurted out the truth.

"Come Don", John held out his hand to him. He knew Don needed rest but now was not the time, they had to get off this world. Don took John's hand and allowed him to support him as he stepped out of the carriage. As he steadied himself in Johns arms, he confessed ",what I said is true, I married Judy against your specific instructions. I am sorry".

John felt surprise fill him, he wondered what had happened between Don and Judy to result in them now not even talking to each other. 'You are sorry for marrying her", he asked rather bluntly.

"No", Don said firmly , "I am sorry for going against your wishes". He pulled out of John's arms and let himself wobble for a few seconds before standing steadier. He could feel Conley and Lyric watching him. John did not seem to be under duress from either of them. 'They are with us", John confirmed

"We will talk about your marriage later", John added softly. He knew there must be more to tell. Don still looked worried so he quickly told him, "I have a lot to thank you for Don", and followed that up with a gentle hug. He noted that Don actually clung to him for a second. He was obviously fairly shattered and was putting on a brave front.

Holding on tightly to Don, Conley and he supported him toward the ship. "We are going to have to get all those guards out , we can't have the extra weight or the extra problems",Don stated as he gingerly stepped over the fallen women.

The robot hurried to comply with that instruction while Conley led the way, back into the hidden room.

'So this is the bridge", Don announced as he took stock of all of the equipment around him. He was mainly ignoring Conley and Lyric John noted. He could not blame him for that.

Don took a few moments to study every console. "I have done what I can to restore her to functionality", Conley explained.

"Well you did a good job, she is able to fly", Don stated. "Then lets get on with it. We need to go to the Space station", Conley told him.

Don said nothing just looking at the man. "Don, Maureen and the girls are in danger", John softly told him. He was concerned that Don was not going to be able to fly this craft. He was already acting strange, his eyes watching Conley.'"I know Smith told me", Don replied. He had not taken the alien man out of his gaze yet.

"I need to know something", Don finally said. "What's that Major West", Conley responded carefully. He had a feeling the question was important. "What happened to the pilot of this ship", Don asked.

John could feel a sudden increase in tension. Don was asking a dangerous question, it seemed . Previously they would not have answered him. But things had changed, Conley and Lyric were no longer in charge, they needed Don. He was now the one holding the power. If you want something from the man holding the power then you have to be honest.

Conley took a breath, The pilot of this ship is dead Major. She was a woman, thus she was sent up to the space station to be fed upon by the Naloolab ".

Don swallowed ,that fact was a short statement and it seemed to brush over so much. Something was wrong. He had sensed it before ,and now that he had studied the capabilities of this ship he knew his feelings were a certainty.

"She could have used the weapons on this ship to stop that happening Conley", Don stated. He had been very surprised to find this ship was capable of destroying many of their homesteads. Lyric breathed out what was clearly a gasp, she had not known about the weapons.

But Don knew that Conley had known and that fact raised even more questions. The man was looking down at the deck now and his face was pale." 'You want answers Major, they are up there at the space station",Conley told Don.

Don nodded, "somehow I knew you were going to say that", he remarked.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10- front lines

John held tightly onto his son as he watched Don undertake the preparations needed to get this ship of the ground. He knew they were working against a deadline, and at worst they could already be too late. But he would not push Don into lifting off this vessel too soon. Their pilot was fatigued, in pain and dealing with a unfamiliar alien vessel, he did not need even more stress. John wondered if Don was even capable of flying this craft. He must realise the stakes even if nobody was mentioning them at the moment and would not want to disappoint anyone.

Beside Don, Lyric and Conley hovered, watching his every more. It was ,he supposed more of a habit than anything else. Still it made him want to keep watching them.

"Please don't use the weapons, to fire on the homesteads", Conley stated firmly. Don turned away from the instruments to study him for a second, " I have not even touched the weapons", he pointed out. Conley nodded, "no, but it may be something you will be tempted to do. Often we want to strike back at those who hurt us", he said. "Are you talking about me, or yourself", Don asked. John had filled him in on Conley's background. But he still found himself struggling to understand the man. "You have enough cause to have fired upon them at anytime . Yet you did not", Don observed. He was not levelling any accusations when he said that, just making an accurate observation. "Yes, I hate them, I admit freely to thinking about many horrible ways for them to die. Then I realised that by doing that I was exactly like them. I just want to put an end to the run, forever", Conley replied.

"I can agree with that goal", Don told him. Conley nodded . He had not asked either him or Smith, John noted, seemingly just going with that fact that it was Don he had to convince not to destroy the women who had held him prisoner. John had to admit that although he knew what Conley said was accurate, he still would have like to blow their homes into little pieces, just to satisfy his anger. It was was a thought he would keep in his head.

"Right strap in everyone, we are going to lift off in 10 minutes ", Don announced.

He had activared the view screen which showed that so far nobody had come to try and stop them. "Does Ollia know this ship is armed", Doctor Smith asked as he thought about the possibility his former 'wife' could sent an army against them. "No", Conley said softly. "I never shared that knowledge with her. However if you think she will try to stop us, then you are mistaken. She believes we will all die anyway".

"Now that is a comforting thought", Doctor Smith complained. 'It's true though, Conley told them. "We are entering the domain of carnivores who cannot help the drive to want to hunt and kill, for food". He looked at each of them slowly, "the Naloolab are highly dangerous and efficient predators".

John felt himself swallow hard, he was so afraid that he could have already lost members of his family. "It is not hopeless, John Robinson", Conley assured him , "there are ways to survive". John breathed out in relief, he knew Maureen, Penny and Judy were resourceful, so surely they would find a way to avoid the creatures. He needed all the information he could get to know what their own approach would be. "So what do you know about the Naloolab", he asked.

Strangely it was not Conley who answered that question. "They came from space many years ago to dock at the station. They , like you had been suffering in the emptiness of this part of space. Of course their dietary needs were very different. They tried to take over the station and feed upon the people there. They were powerful and our people feared them, and their hunger. They could not risk them finding out about the planet and turning their attentions toward the people there. So they made a deal to ensure this species was fed and kept happy". Our planet was overpopulated by women, so it seemed like the perfect solution for all', Lyric broke off her tale.

She noted Conley looked away from her as she spoke, his face angry. "It was hardly a solution Lyric. It was not only your people who have suffered", he snapped. Lyric said nothing, she was aware that everyone here still saw her as the enemy. None of them had done anything to her to vent their feelings. Maybe they did not have to touch her though, she could see the emotion in their eyes and she could now feel the hatred that was directed her way.

This is why she had lost Donald West, she figured, because he wanted love not cold hearted control. Love, though was an unfamiliar emotion, she did not know what it was but she was beginning to understand what it meant. It made you want to walk into the domain of monsters and even though the odds were not in your favour ,you would still fight, and give that fight everything you had. Love made you want to live. Lyric suddenly just stared to sob.

Conley just looked at her, he did not attempt to comfort her. He could see John Robinson looking at him steadily, it was a look of expectation that said, say something , do something, be her father for once. He reached out and simply placed his hand over Lyric's. He noted she looked surprised. Without even realising it had happened he had squeezed her hand.

Lyric stopped sobbing, "what happens now in your life is your choice Lyric". I will not harm you, Conley told her . He realised he had not said he would help her . At the moment he could not.

"We will not harm you either, it is not our way", John added.

Don looked over at Lyric then away again."Liftoff in 10 seconds", he stated. Lyric had held his eyes for a second. Had she expected him to comfort her as she cried. He knew the tears were genuine, but he still could not bring himself to hold her. As yet she did not know enough about emotions to know the difference between a quick comforting gesture and romance. She would believe he was interested in her.

He returned his attention to the ship. It was a strange mix of the old, probably original parts and the newer ones that Conley had installed. It had still had enough fuel to get them off world and into space but he had no idea when it had last flown. There was the possibility it could simply explode and kill them all. He had not shared that piece of information with the others. It did not matter, because they were all committed. There was no other way. He fired the engines to their maximum capacity. At first nothing happened, they just shook like food in a blender. Don felt sick again. Then finally the old vessel began to lift. They were pressed backward against the seats. He pushed back the surge in pain he felt gritting his teeth until he could feel them grinding together. The ground began to recede. Looking briefly over at the others, he saw tears, he felt the same, finally they had a chance .

Leaving the planets orbit was a jarring and often nausea inducing experience. Don was glad when it was finally over and he could look down upon the planet where they had all suffered so much pain.

"The station is about a 6 hour flight from here", Conley stated. "I can program the course for you". Don allowed him to do that but watched his every move. He seemed confident and assured, he noted, as he used the consoles, which contrasted with Lyric who looked out of place and unsure. That added another piece of information to the picture he was building about Conley.

"So what do we do once we get there", Smith asked quietly. He was not used to rushing headlong into plans that most likely included fighting, and part of him really wanted to run. Unfortunately he was on a spaceship, so running was out of the question. He had committed himself to following the others when he had come with them. So now he better just stuck it up and get on with it. Usually that was the type of thing Major Donald West told him. Strangely though the Major had not said anything like that yet.

"We cannot use weapons on the Naloolab, they will have little or no effect", Conley stated. "Instead we will just have to use our cunning and trick the creatures."

"I think we can do that", John replied. He looked over at Don noting how pale he was. It looked like it was an effort for him to remain conscious. "Does this vessel have an autopilot , he asked. "Yes", Don told him. 'Then activate it". We all need an opportunity to rest before we get to the station", John remarked.

He gently moved Will from his chest and went over to help Don out of the pilots seat. Don's legs felt like jelly and he leaned upon John heavily. 'You can use your former rooms for rest", Conley stated.

John decided he was not going back to that room. He also wanted to keep both Will and Don close by. Smith did not have horrible memories about this ship, so he would most likely want to be by himself. The Doctor followed him out he noted ,keeping by his side. He obviously did not want to stay with the others either.

Supporting Don out of the bridge and down the corridor John found a bunk room with four beds. He slipped Don onto the bottom bed. "Do you trust Conley", Don asked him softly, he had not lain down yet, sitting somewhat rigidly . John hesitated in his response. "Yes that's what I thought as well, Don remarked as he noted the silence," I am not sure of his intent".

From what I have observed about Conley, I think he may have been a soldier . The way he sought approval just from you awhile ago just adds to my theory", John told him.

"He is obviously competent enough with repairs of spacecraft that he can get this old girl working. Because he chose to use this specific craft and not any of the others that must have docked at the space station, I have to wonder if this is actually his ship. If it is it means he had been here for about 25 years. That is a long time to be suffering under the brutality of their way of life. Maybe he just wants to go to the station for revenge John. The weapons this ship have are powerful, but they could not significantly damage the planet. Maybe there is something upon that station that can. Conley may not want to survive this trip ,so I would keep him under observation in case we get drawn into his plans",Don concluded.

"Yes we all should watch both of them. But for now need rest. So listen to your father in law and lie down", John said. Will raised an eyebrow at that then grinned and reached over and enfolded Don in a hug. "Now you are my brother", he said excitedly. "We can do lots of stuff together".

Smith felt surprise hit him hard. How had the Major managed to keep that fact concealed. He had thought the couple had split up. "Congratulations", he offered.

"Thanks", Don replied in a voice on the edge of sleep. He lay down upon the bed looking up at the drab ceiling. "I am just going to check your wound", John said. Don vaguely felt the Professor lift his clothing. Seconds later he fell asleep.

John checked Don over from head to foot. He was the type not to mention major injuries and he wanted to be sure there was nothing life threatening. Don was healing, though it was a slow process that had been aggravated by his treatment on the planet Cerra. "He will be alright", John assured Will.

His son burrowed into him again. Will's eyes reflected his own emotional pain, he was not ready to let him out of his sight yet. John crawled onto the bottom of the opposite bunk. "Smith, you can find your own room if you prefer", he told the Doctor. "No, I'll sleep up there", Smith pointed to the top bunk. 'It is better if we stay together", he added. John accepted that. "Have a good rest then", he stated.

It did not take them all long before they drifted into sleep.

xxxxxxxxx

Don found himself wondering where he was for a brief second before memory came flooding back. He sat up on his bed. Looking over he could see John still sleeping with Will snuggled beside him. He could hear the muffled snorts of Doctor Smith coming from the top bunk. Don let out a breath of relief, he had been half afraid he would awake to find himself captive again.

He padded over to the door, outside on guard stood the robot. 'There is approximately one hour before we will need to dock with the space station", the machine informed him. "Thank you", Don acknowledged. He made his way back to the bridge, just stopping once along the way.

In the Co pilots seat sat Conley who was staring out at the station. Lyric was nowhere to be seen. Don sat down in the pilots seat. Conley did not greet him, it seemed like he was hardly even aware of his presence. It was hard to tell what he was thinking but his face was pale. 'The last time I made this type of approach was with my family', Conley finally whispered softly. Don felt himself shiver at the tone of loss that was within his voice. This was a suffering man with very powerful emotions simmering below the surface. An explosion of that emotion could be dangerous, Don thought. But it did not stop him from asking questions. He too wanted to feel safe. "Is this your ship", he asked the older man. Conley now turned to stare at him, 'very astute Major ", he replied. "This vessel is from my home world".

"I would assume from how it is armed that it is a military craft. John thought that you were once a soldier", Don observed. He took a breath as he forged forward with the questioning. This next one might be more uncomfortable for Conley to answer. "'Did you fight in the war, that happened on the planet", he asked.

Conley went pale and looked like he was actually going to be physically sick. "How do you know about that', he gasped "Doctor Smith fell into a graveyard", Don replied, "he estimated there were thousands of dead there". Conley said nothing. It was the silence of deep pain, Don reflected, from a man who simply did not know how to begin a story about suffering. Finally Conley spoke in a whisper that Don had to lean forward to hear. "'The war was brutal and efficient Major. It changed a lot of things. Maybe you have a saying on your planet about two sides to every story". When Don nodded Conley continued, "I did not come to this planet intending to fight Major, I would not have brought my family on that type of voyage. It was a reconnaissance mission only. But when the fighting happened we had to defend ourselves, unfortunately my people ended up on the losing side Major. So essentially I became a prisoner of war". That is why they have been very callous and brutal with how they have treated me. I deserve no honour or love".

Conley broke off and remained silent. Don thought over his story. It seemed to brief, skipping over a lot of essential details. "You have not told me everything", he stated firmly. "No ,I acknowledge that. It is not just you who needs to know the other side of the story Major. Lets just leave it at that for now", Conley replied firmly. "Fine, as long as you are not just planning a suicide run", Don boldly remarked. Conley closed his eyes for a second, "no', he said finally. I just want to lay the past to rest and to begin a new future. For that I will need help".

"I will help you", Don told him honestly. Conley smiled at him, "you remind me of myself years ago, before I came here".I don't want you to have the same future Major".

Don knew he spoke the truth but he also knew that as yet he did not know all of the facts. So he would still be cautious.

Moments later John, Will, Doctor Smith and Lyric joined them on the bridge. "Prepare for docking", Don told them.

He noted that all of them clenched the sides of their seats tightly. They were all afraid of what they were going to find.

"You will have to dock on the far side of the station", Conley remarked. Don could clearly see the Jupiter 2 as well as other vessels taking up all other space. "Those other larger ships are just husks. They are just their for show, to give the impression all is well", Conley stated.

Don expertly manoeuvred the ship closer to the station, then began docking procedures. There was hardly even a bump as they met the hull of the space station.

Now they were stationary Don looked over at the others. He wondered when he was going to get asked to stay with the ship. Once again he cursed the fact that his injuries would hamper the efforts to rescue the others.

"Lets move out", John stated firmly. Don stared, "I am going", he remarked. "Yes, I want you with us", John stated. He recognised the fact that because the robot had disabled the Jupiter 2, there was only one ship and one pilot who could get them away from here. He could not take the chance that Lyric or Conley could decide to take Don prisoner and force him to fly them off the space station. The robot would stay with the ship though, just in case something or someone did manage to get onboard.

Don did not argue, he understood Johns reasoning. "Why don't I take the lead. I am more familiar with the layout of the space station", Conley remarked."Lyric you can watch the rear".

Lyric did not like being in one of the most vulnerable positions but did not argue. She felt like she was walking to her doom anyway.

Doctor Smith settled into the middle of the group. He felt the urge to scream rise up from within as panic coursed through him. In his mind he had already died many brutal deaths by the claws of the Naloolab.

"Right lets go", Conley led the way out of the ship and into the space station.

John had thought they would hear screams of panic from within the station. But all was silent within the drab white corridor. "Where are the aliens", he asked nervously. "They would know we have docked", Conley stated, I am sure they will show themselves where and when they chose to do so."

That comment was hardly reassuring . John kept looking around , scanning every direction at once. He kept Will close by with one hand upon him. Taking the boy into danger was not something he wanted to do. But he was not sure that staying on the ship was any safer.

The total lack of sound was beginning to be scary in itself. Surely there should be something to indicate life.

Doctor Smith was the first to notice a change in colour of the floor ahead of them. Red streaks splattered across the floor and up the white walls. There was no doubt that it was blood. John stared at the blood. Part of him really did not want to know whose blood it was. "There would be much more blood from a mortal wound", Conley stated rather clinically.

John let out a relieved breath at that comment. As yet there was no evidence of any deaths. Though there were none of life either. His head was beginning to get sore from looking around him so much. He bent his neck backward, trying to get the knot of tension to abate. Instead panic shot straight through him as he realised they had all not looked in one crucial location, upward.

The large bug dropped down to land about a metre away from them. "Do not run", Conley cautioned. 'Just stay still, look it in the eyes".

John found that was easy. The bug stared back and tapped its long legs against the floor. On its head the large antenna rubbed against each other. "It is communicating with the others", Conley remarked.

When another large bug dropped from the ceiling behind them, they were effectively trapped.

"What now", John whispered to Conley. "Just stand your ground, make no hostile gestures",the older man replied. "So will they just go away and leave us", Dr. Smith asked nervously.

Conley did not reply to that one. John wondered about that for a minute until he noticed the ex soldier was looking past the bug in front of them , down the corridor.

He felt himself go pale as he saw that corridor begin to fill with other bugs. Soon the entire corridor was a mass of dark and pale brown writhing forms. There had to be at least 20 of them.

John felt like his legs were going to collapse under him. Every sense he had was twitching in revulsion at the sight of the huge insects. On Earth the little cousins of these aliens were squashed underfoot because they were ugly. No one would dare even suggest doing that to these monsters. Fear was literally paralysing him and he could only watch as through that mass a light brown bug pushed its way to the front. It looked down the corridor at them.

All of them wondered what was going to happen next. John could hear Smith's sucking breaths as he held off screaming in terror. He was probably afraid that noise would provoke the creatures. He could feel the tension. Why had they come here, he asked himself, this was surely a no win scenario .

Then Conley did the very thing he had told them not to do, he started running toward the creature. The bug in front of them did not try to stop him. Conley was heading straight for the mass.

While John was still trying to take that shock in Lyric lifted a weapon and shot at the creature behind them. It let out a screeching sound and shot back up toward the ceiling.

Lyric, pointed the gun back at them, "put your hands up", she insisted. John lifted his hands, noting the others did the same. They now were all concentrating on the drama within their midst. Conley had probably reached the bugs in front of them but they could not hear any sounds of fighting or other traumatic events. Those bugs had also not moved. It seemed like they did not care if they had problems .Perhaps they thought that internal conflicts might provide them a quick and easy meal. John tried hard not to think too much about that.

"Don, come here", Lyric insisted. "No",Don stood his ground. Lyric moved the gun toward John. "I will shoot him", she warned. "I have nothing to loose Major. You are to come with me and get me off this station. I know you may never offer me love, well that's fine. I will just go with survival." Now move".

Don walked past John to stand alone in the corridor. So leaving the ship had produced the same result as staying. He was the asset everyone wanted to control.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11- shadows

Don held his hands palms upward around waist height as he walked slightly past Lyric. She was holding her gun out steadily targeting John and the others. "Keep walking to the ship Major", Lyric instructed. Don took a step down the corridor. He noted that Lyric was sweating. It was going to be hard for her to watch two different directions. She did not believe he was going to obey without coercion. Thus she would have to keep both him and the others in sight while she walked back toward the ship. The further away she got, the less range her weapon would have. He would then be the only one in immediate danger. The others though would not act to rescue him if they thought there was a chance that Lyric would shoot him. She could definitely do that, he decided.

As John shuffled his feet slightly Lyrics gaze for one second was not upon him. He moved rapidly, from behind her to directly in front ,raising the weapon he had secreted in his trouser leg as he went. "You are not the only one who can find the weapons locker", Don told Lyric as he stood right in her line of fire. 'If you are going to shoot someone, make it me. He had his gun pointing directly at her head, "let's see who is the fastest', he told her boldly.

"Don don't be an idiot", John yelled. He too had decided that Lyric was deadly serious when she threatened to shoot. She knew Don was the only way off the station, but she could decide that revenge against his lack of attention would be more satisfying than trying to flee. Will squirmed against him, fear clear in his eyes. John knew his son wanted to go to Don's aid. He stopped him by placing one hand firmly around his arm. Lyric could easily fire at Will and Don within a few seconds. John held his breath. This was like a chess game and he was not sure if Lyric or Don had the winning move.

"So brave Major", Lyric hissed, "you would die for your friends. Well in that act you would condemn them as well. They would all die here. You are bluffing. Step aside Major or I will shoot you". She lowered the gun downward, toward his legs. 'It will be painful, but it won't kill you", she warned. She ignored the fact that Don held his gun toward her head. He would not shoot her, of that she was almost sure.

Don did not shift his own weapon. His arm was already shaking. He had a feeling Lyric had the upper hand still. She was going to shoot him. He had thought when he raised the weapon that all his anger would come pouring out and it would be easy to pull the trigger. But it was not. He felt his resolve shift ,a shot to his leg at this close range would in likelihood cripple him. He began to slowly lower the weapon. Lyric was already smiling he noted.

Then without warning a brown leg shot downward from the ceiling and knocked Lyric's weapon from her hand. Another leg hit into her knocking her backward with a force that had her sprawling across the ground. She lay lay there panting hard as the bug she had shot at once again descended from the ceiling. It seemed unharmed with just a white streak marring its body. From its mandibles issued a harsh chittering sound ,that could be its definition of anger. Though instead of moving toward Lyric it came his way.

Don found himself staring right into its eyes as its body moved into position in front of him. He could not really help the fact that his arm raised the weapon upward again and aimed directly at those eyes. This was the most frightening creature he had ever beheld and it was only inches away. Surely it would kill him before he could fire a shot. He almost could not breathe, he was so scared.

"Shit", it was Smith who uttered the expletive. He had visions of seeing Don getting ripped apart. The bug would then turn its attentions to them.

John felt the urge to rush forward again. He knew though that it would be already to late by the time he moved. Don was close enough to to the bug that it could kill him in a second.

Tap, tap, the creature, hit the floor with one of its other legs. Don felt himself shiver at the sound.

It was still staring right at him , studying him boldly. The was no sign of an attack yet ,its legs were now down upon the ground. From its mouth issued a soft little chitter, it twisted its head on an angle looking directly at the gun. It then pushed its head directly into the weapon. It was a bold move and it told him that the bug was challenging him. He had a choice to make and it was waiting to see what he did. Up this close he could see the serrated edges upon its legs. They would be as sharp as knives and capable of ripping his flesh . He had loved praying mantis's as a kid and had watched in fascination as they ripped other insects head off. Up close to a giant killing machine all he could think of was that it was going to be his head that would be removed. What could he do? The gun looked so small, insignificant in comparison to this large creature.

Don made a decision, slowly lowering his weapon, until finally it was pointing at the ground. The leg of the bug hit forward rapidly, slapping the gun into the floor. It then crushed the weapon in one swift easy movement. He only felt a slight sting from the motion. Don did not try to run, just awaiting what would happen next.

The leg came upward again toward him and its tip touched his arm. He could feel the hairs on the legs of the creature softly running over his skin. The serrated edges of the leg were merely centimetres from touching him .Don stood frozen in space, his eyes staring into the insects. The soft hairs felt strangely soothing but the sensation did not relax him. He was coiled so tightly in fear he was sure he might actually explode. What was it doing he wondered.

The leg slowly retreated from his arm, then moved upward to touch his face softly, lingering for a few nail biting moments. Then in a lightning movement the creature shot upward and scuttled over the ceiling. It moved over the others heads then dropped downward into the corridor . Don noted that the other bugs had gone from the corridor now. There was no trace of Conley. He felt his legs collapse . Sitting on the floor he sucked in gasping breaths of relief as John, Smith and Will hurried to his side. John was touching him, feeling for any other injuries. He was stunned that Don had not been harmed by the creature.

Smith stared at him, "I would have thought you would fire", he stated. Once again Don was surprising him. "Yeah well don't ever go on safari Smith. Because if a lion comes to check you out, you do not shoot . If you do you will just make it angrier as well as notify every predator in the area that you are nearby", Don told him. He was still shaking. "You did the right thing Don, it did not touch you. Lyric did not fare so well", John said.

Smith moved past Don toward Lyric. The young woman was raising herself slowly upward. Her face was pale and a small amount of blood dripped from her arm. Doctor Smith checked her over briefly and determined that she had been lucky. Most likely she had a concussion and a multitude of bruises , but nothing life threatening.

Lyric felt tremors assail her body. She had never thought she would actually survive an encounter with the Naloolab. Why had it not decided to go with a death blow. She felt nausea rise as thought of the fact that it could be playing with them. It would just make a lot of strikes like this one and see how long they would last. Now she was sick, throwing up mounds of mucus onto the corridor.

She could feel John Robinson giving her a glare. Now she had lost the upper hand again. There would be no further chances to gain it back.

John told her exactly what he thought ,not holding back, "you made the wrong choice Lyric'. We are supposed to be working together, helping one another. It was hard for me to want to do that. You have just made it even harder now."

"Yeah, well it could have worked", Lyric stated.

"So how were you going to get past the robot once you boarded the ship", Don asked. Lyric realised she had not really thought about that. "Fear ,can make you take bad risks, Lyric. Now you know what desperation feels like. I cannot say I blame you for wanting to get out of this place. But you showed you still have little regard for others lives. That is an arrogant belief, Lyric. If you do not purge it from your heart then your life will most likely end in suffering", John told her.

He felt that once again they had been betrayed because Lyric knew they not like her species, they cared enough to not just kill her in cold blood.

"Follow us, if you will Lyric", John told her. "If you betray us again, then you can go your own way". I have had enough of looking over my shoulder."

Lyric nodded, he was clear enough.

"So what happened to Conley", Will asked. His body had been pressed tightly against his fathers the whole time they had watched Don interact with the creature. He had feared Don would die. It was nice to be wrong. But it did not make him feel any safer. Where was his mother and sisters. He had never thought he would actually miss their bickering and teasing. Now all he wanted was to hug all of them and tell them how much he loved them. But there was no sign of them, just like Conley, who had also vanished without trace. There was no blood or any other reminder that he had even existed. That was definitely creepy.

"Maybe they..., Smith broke off, he had been going to say consumed him whole. Then he realised that would be inappropriate because of the fear for the safety of the women. "Shut up Smith", John snapped. Belatedly he realised Smith had not finished his sentence. His anger was because he knew what was in the Doctors mind. He had thought the same. But he did not want to allow himself to collapse in grief, not here, not now. He had to keep living in this nightmare, until they found out the answers.

"So what do we do now, Smith asked slowly. He had to admit that he had not even considered going to Don's aid. Their pilot had saved his life, but he had simply been too paralysed with fear to want to help him escape from a giant cockroach. He would like to suggest going back to the ship and hide but knew John would not agree to that. So he simply waited for someone else to make a decision."There is a slight blood trail leading that way. I suggest we follow that trial. Some injured person could be hiding out somewhere", Don pointed down the corridor. "If you continue on that way you will cross over into the bugs living environment. They can only breath oxygen for a few hours at most, so we do have some advantages", Lyric told them.

"I think we need to at least see into their environment", Don remarked. He was thinking about the fact that predators often took their prey back for their families. It was not a thought he wanted to say with Will close by.

"Very well", John agreed, he knew what Don was thinking as well. Now he felt like being sick.

Lyric swallowed, she thought they were crazy. But being alone here would not be her first choice. Once again she took up her position at the rear as the others continued on down the corridor.

John was now in the front and boldly stepped across the red line ,with Will close behind him. Smith closed his eyes as he stepped over the line, he decided that not seeing a clear warning sign might help him feel braver.

Don stopped behind the line and let Lyric catch up with him. "Go in front of me", he told her. "I want to be able to see what you are doing", he had been feeling nervous the whole time with her back there. Lyric scowled at him then stepped across the line. Don followed.

They came to a door which was firmly closed. Through the glass portion of the door they could see the swirling green mists of the Naloolab's living environment. "I never noticed that before, that mist glows", Smith remarked softly. "So it does", Don agreed. He and Smith traded a glance.

"So Lyric, has anyone been in that environment before", John asked. Lyric nodded, "yes, some of the contestants thought of hiding out there while the bugs were in other parts of the ship. There are suits designed to protect people in the utility area". Lyric did not continue on with what had happened to those people. She was sure they really did not want to know that they had all been killed when the bugs had returned to their home.

"Alright, take me to this utility area. "It is going to be harder to move with the suits on but we have no other choice", John stated. Smith, he noted looked like he wanted to say something, then clamped his mouth shut. He had been rather surprising since his escape from the women on Cerra. The man's bravery had gone up quite a lot. Though of course traces of the old Smith remained.

"While Lyric showed Don where the utility area was located ,Don and Will stared into the swirling mists. It was hard to see anything as the mists were dense. They would have to use the lights upon the suits to navigate. "Well at least the terrain should be flat", Don remarked as he crouched down slightly trying to see under the mists

Standing up again he studied the door, noting that it did not have any clear handle or other way to open it up .He was just taking in that fact when the door slid open rapidly and 2 brown legs shot out, latched around his waist and pulled him forward.

He let out a small shout, and watched as John surged forward. Will was frozen in terror unable to move ,he was already crying Don noted. John tried to make a grab for him. The bug though was too fast dragging him through the door .Then the door was closing trapping him inside the bugs environment. Don held his breath. He could see John looking at him through the window..The Professor's face was white and tears ran down his face. The look told him, he was lost and there was nothing they could do to save him

The bugs legs were still tightly around his waist. Its body pressed against his own circulating warmth through him. It had not tried to attack him yet. Most likely it was waiting until he collapsed before it started to feed. At least he won't feel the pain, he decided. His head was pounding and he was feeling detached as his body reminded him that he needed oxygen. He felt himself slump in the bugs grasp.

It lowered him down onto the floor and leaned over to stare into his face. He kept his mouth clamped shut, hoping desperately he could continue to hold his breath .Through failing senses he noted the white patch on the insects abdomen, this was the same one Lyric had shot. His chest was filled with pain and tears rolled out of his eyes. He knew he did not have long left. The bug began to make a low pitched chittering sound, then moved its leg and poked him right in the abdomen. It was trying to make him breath out Don decided. His lungs were burning in pain, but he was stubbornly refusing to take that breath. I don't want to die he told his body. Again the legged poked, this time harder. Don felt pain hit him through his scrambled senses. He took a breath.

xxxxxxxxx

Will was lying on the floor sobbing, his fingers clawing at the hard floor. Smith just sat still staring at nothing, his eyes devoid of life or hope. John felt heavy loss hit him and went to both of them enfolding them in his arms. All of them cried together. The tears were partly for Don and partly for the futility of their situation.

Don was dead and John had to wonder if the bugs had chosen to take him because he was closest to the door or because they knew that by removing the pilot they would have no means of escape from this station. That thought was frightening because it meant that the bugs were also highly intelligent predators.

"We have to continue onward", he told the others brokenly. Was he leading them all to their deaths, perhaps he was. He would not turn back though . Lyric had the utility door open now and there were 5 spacesuits ready to be worn. "Get suited up", he ordered bluntly. His mind was numbing to all the sorrow that was constantly hitting him and all he could do now was order the others about without thinking too deeply. He noted they all began to put on the suits, numb followers, who were accepting their fate.

Once they were all safely enclosed John stood in front of the door, examining it closely. There seemed to be no way of opening it up. Just as he was about to try to find something to force it open, it slid open seemingly all on its own. Looking in, John could clearly see a handle on the other side of the door. So it was only controlled from inside. It was then that John suddenly realised they had probably been watched this entire time. The bugs knew they were coming.

He did not think about the that fact deeply just stepping into the swirling mists. Will's hand was secured firmly in his own. He would not be able to see his son once they were in the mist, so he would be holding on tightly.

They formed a line, hand in hand, like a rope chain, securing each other firmly. John looked down at the ground as they moved forward into the thick mists. There was no sign of Don, lying injured or worse anywhere. Just like Conley he seemed to have disappeared entirely.

John could not see the others either, the only thing that reminded him that he was not alone was Will and Smiths hands, clenching his own. Lyric was on the other side of Smith.

Ten minutes passed without him finding any sign of life. It was difficult to ascertain how big this space was. They had made sure to keep the door at their backs as they moved away to eliminate the possibility of walking around in a circle. Though that could still be happening. John had never liked fog as he found it disorientating , green alien fog was even worse, because somewhere in here were vicious predators.

Feeling a slight sting in his leg, John looked downward, he saw nothing. When a warning light flashed in his suit, he knew in a moment of horrible clarity what the sensation had been, something had just pierced his suit. Putting his hand down, he felt a small hole. He pressed his fingers against it tightly.

Of course to do that he had to drop hands with Smith for a second. Smith was still walking forward unaware that something had changed. He really did not like this at all. His whole body shook violently as fear rolled over him in waves. He wanted to scream loudly and run for his life. His legs felt rubbery though,so most likely all he would do was fall on his face. He was glad he had the comfort of Johns hand. Yet it did feel rather strange, as it gripped his own. Looking downward at that hand he recoiled violently as he saw that instead of fingers a long brown claw was wrapped around him. He let out of shriek, and pulled his hand upward, out of the clawed grasp. He sought the comfort of the other hand, Lyrics, only to find it too was gone. The brown leg gripped tighter and pulled him forward. Smith finally let out the scream he had been holding .

Will had stopped when his father had. He could sense something was not right and pulled upon his fathers hand intending on bringing him closer. Nothing happened, it seemed like his father was motionless. Will could not even see him, or feel the warmth of his hand because of the suit. It was still grasped around his own though. That was at least reassuring. He did not want to be alone in here. All thoughts of adventure had faded long ago. Using the hand as an anchor Will moved forward to his father's side. He was crouched down and shockingly Will could see green mist swirling inside his faceplate.

"No", Will sobbed. He knew that his father was suffocating as alien air took the place of oxygen. He turned his head rapidly around trying to find any of sign of life. "Is anyone there", he begged. There was silence. "Please, help me", Will added desperately . His sobs grew in intensity as he lost control and gave into terror. At first there was no response ,then he heard scratching sounds that rapidly intensified. Coming through the mists he could see a brown shape. That was not the sort of help he wanted. Desperately Will started to run, back in the direction of the door. If he could get back at least to the ship, then he could get help from the robot.

He did not look back at the brown shape, just moving as fast as he could. He had won a few races at school and hoped that the bugs were not that fast. In his head he counted ,marking the time that was passing. His eyes were tear streaked and he felt so numb. All he wanted to do was stop, lay down and surrender. But he did not, gritting his teeth hard and pushing back the terror. It would only stop him from getting away.

One minute later he collided with something. It was not the hardness of the door. Will started to struggle as brown legs enfolded him. His struggles ended rapidly about 1 minute later.

Lyric ran as well, away from the door, and into the heart of the bugs territory. She had decided that her fate was to die and she might as well get it over with. It was kind of surprising though that she had yet to see any sign of the bugs. She had for one minute heard a scream from Doctor Smith, then all had gone quiet again. Even though he had only been a hands length away she had not seen what had happened to him. This was the bugs hunting ground and they were picking them off one at a time. It had been so stupid to come in here. Yet she had followed, because honestly she had no idea what to do . She had never had to make a life changing decision before. All her life had been controlled and she had followed orders without question.

She hit a wall seconds later. In front of her, through a small window, she could see the coldness of space. Maybe there was another door here somewhere. If she could decompress this environment, all the bugs would get sucked out into space and she, in a suit should be alright.

It would be a fitting end to the aliens. Using her gloved hands she searched the wall for any recesses that could indicate a hatch. Her hand hit something solid, but she could not clearly see what this thing was. Her fingers traced over it slowly, it was hard, like metal, and had notches upon it just like a doorway should. A doorway did not move though, and this thing did. It latched onto her glove and pulled her forward. She found herself staring into the ugly face of a large alien.

Lyric began to scream. Her scream choked off several minutes later and silence once again covered the area ,just like the mists.

Through that mist she walked, her memories went back 75 years, from the moment she had hatched from her egg. She could remember the feeling of grass underneath her legs. That was a nice memory. Other memories assailed her mind, the many people that had lain motionless under her claws, then the urge to rip them apart and suck the blood from their bodies. She had heard their screams of terror, as powerful as the ones she had heard today.

Reaching a body in the mists, she studied the man in front of her. His name was John Robinson, she knew. He had come here with his family which consisted of a wife, two daughters and a young son. The man held the title of Professor.

He had not been alone on his ship, accompanied by two more males, one Donald West, the other Zachary Smith. With the sharp barbs upon her claw she ripped open the mans suit. John Robinson, flopped out to lie at her feet. Another ready victim, awaiting the final moment. That was what she was here for.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12- its a bugs life...

She was hungry. Most likely that was because of the smell of blood in the air. Her mouth watered and saliva dripped down to land on the floor. She pushed the thought of food back into her mind. It kept coming back though. "Come", she tapped out the instruction to her friend. It took a long time to communicate like this, with the tapping of her leg onto the ground. Bug talk was a lot faster but her friend, being younger than her, had not mastered it yet.

She took her friends claw within her own and off they went through the mists. The smell of blood was getting stronger. Ahead of her she saw their leader, who was also her mother. She was standing just to the side of one of the small alcoves. Here the smell of blood was overwhelming. Peering inside, she could see her older sister Falloon standing guard over her prize. Her friend surged forward, probably because she saw the blood and wanted to drink . That desire hit her too, but she was well disciplined and stayed away. Her mother, Jalloo chittered at her friend and pressed one leg against her hard enough to stop all forward movement. Falloon's head swivelled ,away from the blood and she too chittered violently in protest.

The message was clear, the man, lying on a small platform, was hers. Madera, reached out to her friend and pulled her back. She tapped out "come" again. Her friend though was reluctant, "blood", she replied pointing over at the man. Of course she was attracted to that, they all were, but her older sister Falloon, would not let them get any closer. Falloon had earnt honour, that showed in the white scar that would mar her body for the rest of her life. It had been caused by one of them, the others. She could have lost her sister to that one had she managed to hit a more sensitive spot. Kinship was important to Naloolab, and even though they had different sires, Madera cared passionately for her sister. She had to respect her rights to her prize.

Falloon was bent down low over the man, Donald West, holding him underneath her . He was stripped naked, though Madera could not see his entire body, just the blood that streaked across his middle. That blood excited her senses as it dripped downward to land upon the floor. Her friend was mesmerised by that blood, surging forward again and insisting,"no, go", as she pointed her claw into the room. Madera shook her head. But her friend disobeyed and actually pushed at her mother, as if trying to move her aside. Jalloo, stood her ground, chattering her disapproval and ordered Madera to "take her away".

"No", her friend insisted. She did not try to push past Jalloo again, but stubbornly stood her ground refusing to move . So Madera had to take a more direct approach , pulling her away firmly . Her friend struggled and protested trying hard to stop her motion away from the alcove. She was smaller and lighter, so her efforts had little effect, Madera moved her forward, letting her legs drag upon the ground. It would be easier if she had not struggled so hard. Madera had even been hit a few times as her friend kicked out at her. She was angry she knew. Finally, those struggles ceased as they lost sight of the alcove. Now she could relax her grip again. Her friend would find it hard to navigate back to that room if she did turn and run, the mists were disorientating.

She did not make that move though, just hanging her head downward as they moved back toward the central chamber, that was where more food awaited them.

Finally they caught sight of the main feeding area and Madera hurried forward, to partake of that food, while her friend lingered . Smelling all that blood had stimulated her feeding desires and she hurriedly bit into the meat . Looking over she noted that her friend still looked dejected . She too was probably hungry. "There", she told her, pointing slightly left, she was not sharing her food, but there was more nearby.

Her friend took a few steps forward and hit into Kyrell, who deposited his own prize at her feet. Madera reflected that he was not doing this to gain her friends favour. He was not interested in mating with her friend, just being polite to a younger, smaller female. The entire display of strength was for her benefit. Kyrell was carrying one of the other men, John Robinson, with just one claw. Madera tried to ignore his display, she really did not fancy being his mate. He was not as good looking or strong as the one she did want, Nardin. That particular male though ignored her. At least Kyrell was making the effort, so perhaps she should reconsider her choices. She chittered her approval to Kyrell and noted that his abdomen flushed, in pleasure. Madera decided he would have to do a lot more before she finally gave in and let him initiate the mating ritual.

Pulling her mind away from mating she looked over to her friend. She was now crouched down and had reached out her claw to touch the soft skin of the man. That skin was so delicate, easily torn and bruised. Madera knew that just one little touch from her claws could tear one of the mans arms off. Her friends claws were less developed then hers, and practically useless for tearing off flesh. Madera shook her head, sometimes it was a struggle to remember her friend was different. She did not consider her claws to be useless, she even gave them a different name, hands.

Madera found a soft crooning sound issuing from her mandibles as she watched her friend Pen-nee, softly clutched John Robinson's hand into her own. Moisture rolled out of her eyes and she was sobbing. They were tears, Madera knew, and they were because the man on the ground was Pen-nees father.

"Dad", Penny cried as she bent over her father. His hand was limp in her own, but she could feel its warmth.

As she waited for him to wake Penny thought back over their time on the station. She had spent the time while they were trapped behind the door studying the smaller bug. It was tapping its feet and she began to take notice of that fact, working out that taps sounded in a sequence of 8 first, then a small number, followed by two lots of lengthier taps. Was this just the way it kept itself occupied she wondered. Yet, why did it repeat this particular sequence, why not just the same amount of taps each time. Just out of idle curiosity she applied the English alphabet to the number of taps. She got a word, but that word could have two different meanings .Then of course there was the possibility getting an answer was just a fluke.

When the door had opened and they were out and running again she began think that she was wrong about the tapping. They were being chased and it felt scary. When they stopped upon the edge of the red line and they were once again trapped Penny watched as the same bug tapped out a different pattern as it approached. She applied the same theory and got another answer, 4 letters, just like the first message. But could she believe them, trust that the message she was getting was actually right, s, a, f, e, the bug was telling her.

If she pushed back the fear and thought logically she knew the giant insect in front of her could have killed them at any time. It was faster than them and with those massive legs probably capable of jumping straight over their heads and attacking. Yet it had not. Maybe it is just like a sheep dog herding cattle, she decided. It wants us to go a certain direction and cannot tell us any other way. She had to make a choice. Penny decided to trust what the bug was telling her and pulled her family over the line.

She had no conscious memory of what happened just after that. The green mist had affected them, rendering them all unconscious. She had awakened with the small bug looking down at her. That same bug had began to talk to her with the tapping and after a lengthy conversation had considered her to be a friend. After introducing her to the others, the bugs had told them to stay with them in their home .Soon, they said, another friend would come to help them be reunited with their own kind. That fact had sustained them until now finally she was getting a reunion with the rest of her family. Penny was still afraid though, but not for herself or her parents. She worried about her brother in law, who she had seen lying in an alcove covered in blood .His condition told her that the injuries he had sustained when he had fallen on the asteroid had worsened. Right now he could even be dying. However the bugs would not allow her access and she could only trust that they would not hurt Don. Returning her thoughts to her father Penny waited.

John Robinson let out a sucking gasp of breath. He remembered the moment he had passed out as green mist was sucked into his lungs. His last thoughts had been of his family as he surrendered to death. But now as he took another shuddering breath he considered the fact he was definitely not dead. As he opened his eyes, he could see the mists swirling around him. It only took a second to realise he was not in his suit. He was actually breathing this air. It was a rather shocking revelation, "Our bodies just take a few minutes to adapt", came a very familiar voice. John looked over to his hand and saw a smaller one clutching it desperately. Then the rest of her moved into sight. Her hair was knotted and tangled ,eyes red and swollen from crying , she really did look rather terrible. But she was still the best thing he had seen for awhile. "Penny", he said her name softly as he enveloped her in a hug. John clung to her, feeling the warmth and letting hope fill him.

He wanted only to ask one question, but it was still a hard one, to see Penny alive and unharmed meant there were possibilities, but he was equally aware that the shadow of tragedy had yet to fade. "Dad, mom and Judy are alive and well", Penny assured him as she watched emotions rippled across his face.

Upon hearing those words John let himself cry. Penny held him gently. From his response, it was obvious her father had thought they were dead. He had suffered, she could clearly see that. His face was chalky white with dark circles around his eyes. She softly touched his face rubbing away his tears. "Come, I'll take you to mother", Penny told him.

John pulled himself up . He looked around him, noting the presence of several large Naloolab. They were all looking at him. It really was disconcerting . When he walked forward a few steps he could see they were eating, tearing large chunks of something grey with their mandibles. He closed his eyes, that was not a sight he wanted to see. Not one of them tried to stop him as he moved away with Penny. What was going on here, he wondered, supposedly unbreathable air was fine and the nasty predators were not actually going to kill him. "They are our friends", Penny reassured him.

Now his daughter was pulling at him and on still shaky legs he followed her. About 5 minutes later he found himself in another smaller room.

It was then that John found himself locked in one of those romance movie silly cheesy moments. He had always hated those movies as they were so unrealistic. But now as he was finally reunited with his wife he did not care how silly he looked. He whispered her name softly, lovingly, slowly drawing out each letter. Maureen returned the look and they just stood like that, staring at each other. Then he ran, yes, just like those movies, straight into her arms. His lips were upon hers within seconds and he could not stop his hands trailing over her body.

Maureen held him tightly, feeling shocked at seeing him cry. Her husband had not done that since Will was placed into his arms in the birthing room many years ago. He had obviously been through some traumatic experiences, just like they had. The thought that other women had wanted him for a mate had disturbed her. John, she knew would never have been a willing participant and that showed upon his face. What had they done to him, she wondered. Later she would talk to him and find out but for now all that mattered was that he was here. "Its alright John", she told him softly as she felt her own tears fall upon his warm shoulder.

John stayed like that for a long moment feeling his wife warmth . Then he pulled back from her for a second to look around the room, seeking affirmation, that everything was indeed alright. He locked eyes with other familiar faces, Smith, Judy, Will and acknowledged him with a slight movement of their mouths that could not be called a smile. There was still a lot of uncertainty in that look. He felt exactly the same. Searching further around the space he felt his heart beat quicken again as he noticed both Lyric and Don were not here. He asked about the most important person first, "is Don alright?"

xxxxxx

Donald West was trying hard not to freak out as awoke to find himself lying upon the legs of a large Naloolab. He was, embarrassingly naked and felt very vulnerable. Slowly, he moved one arm. The Naloolab bending over him let out a high pitched sound that made him wince. Then she placed the top of one leg onto him and pressed down. That pressure was not painful ,but it was disconcerting to be held still by a nightmare. Surely he should already be dead if the bug was going to eat him. Panic was building up and he was going to start to try and get himself free. A familiar voice telling him,"she is telling you not to move', stopped him, Conley was somewhere here with him and that was slightly reassuring.

Don ignored the instruction moving his head just enough so he could see the alien man. Conley stepped closer. He looked relaxed Don noted and happy. So perhaps he should not be alarmed about a giant bug touching him. He could not help moving though when another leg of that bug touched his middle. That made pain surge and he let out a small cry. He could see that he was bleeding again . There was quite a bit of blood he noted in a detached way. Most likely the suture he had loosened slightly in the medical centre had now burst open. Great, he thought, I am bleeding in the arms of a carnivore. The Naloolab chittered again, its head moving toward Conley. Conley actually made insect noises back at the bug. So he obviously was hiding more information from them. Don was getting used to that fact. "I am telling her that naturally you are afraid Major West", Conley told him.

"Of course, it was you who told us they were highly efficient and dangerous predators", Don stated in mildly return. He knew that statement could not have told the entire story otherwise he would have been dinner awhile ago. "What I told you was true Major. They feel the desire to actually drink the blood that spills from your body and to partake of your nice young flesh. But they are resisting that urge", Conley said. "That is why you are here though, away from the main group". I do not wish the smell of blood to bring on an uncontrollable blood lust within them"."Only a trusted few will render you aid".

"Falloon wanted to be the one to care for you. She admires you Major", Conley told him. You actually surprised her when you lowered your weapon. Nobody has ever resisted the temptation to shoot before"."In that moment she saw you as something special".

Don looked up at the bug. She had one of her legs lowered over him gently touching his injuries. He wanted to close his eyes as it was simply too much like one of those horror movies. But he did not because he also did not want to offend the giant bug ."Something special", he repeated, "she has a scary way of introducing herself. I honestly thought I was dead when she dragged me in here". Don took a breath in a green air. "You were also the one that said we would die witihin minutes, because the air was unbreathable." That was a lie", he stated firmly. Conley shrugged, "I was being monitored Major and I had to say that. Many times I have have had to lie to Ollia and the others. I will tell you all soon.'

Conley reached over and touched the alien bug softly, caressing it behind the ears just like you would do to a dog. The bug seemed to like it making small little noises. Don just stared, still feeling like he was in a nightmare and awaiting the part when something truly awful happens ."It truly is alright Major , you are safe. " Falloon could not help actually treating you like prey and pulling you into the door. Since you cannot understand her communication she felt like being direct was the best approach. Jabbing you in the stomach was to try and help you realise the air was breathable. She was also impressed you could hold your breath so long", Conley continued

Don winced when the bug touched his middle again. The pain was increasing now and he really did not want anyone or anything touching him. "Can you tell her to stop doing that", he asked. Conley shook his head, "Falloon is trained in caring for others and will treat your wound Major, so you won't leak blood all over the place. Then it will be safe enough for you to return to the others. I believe that Judy desires to see you", Conley said gently.

Hearing Judy's name Don found his eyes welling up. Falloon gently touched them with the tip of her leg and chittered softly at him. Another leg rose up and his face was softly brushed with the hairs of that leg. She is consoling me, Don thought with amazement. He relaxed somewhat then, Conley was not lying, this bug was actually friendly.

With an act of pure daring Don reached up to touch Falloon, trailing his fingers over her face. The hairs on that face were surprisingly soft and smooth. Falloon made little crooning sounds at him, "she likes that Major", Conley said with a smile This was rather incredible Don reflected.

"Now Major you will have to keep hold of that bravery for the next bit", Conley warned as Don pulled his hand back. Falloon moved her head away from Don and began to chew on several green leaves that rested on the floor beside her. "She is going to use her saliva to provide pain relief and healing", Conley told him."Do not concern yourself, and close your eyes if you find it unpleasant to look upon".

Don did not close his eyes and tried not to cringe as green saliva come dripping out of Falloons mandibles to ooze all over his torso. It was cold and wet, yet the sensation actually numbed the pain . The saliva lay in a small pool upon his stomach, then slowly began to diminish in size. When it faded away entirely Don was surprised to note that the broken skin upon his stomach had been mended and his bruising was significantly better. For the first time in awhile he actually felt great. "Thank her for me", Don said to Conley. The man nodded but curiously did not say anything to Falloon. "Now can we get to the explaining bit', Don asked.

"I would rather only say it once. So I will just wait a few more minutes then we will go and see your family and friends", Conley replied. Don noticed there was an omission in that statement, Lyric would not be considered to be his friend. He knew she had caused him a lot of trouble but somehow he still had to ask, "what happened to Lyric".

Falloon rubbed her mandibles together, producing a harsh grating sound. That was not a friendly noise. It was also not directed at Conley. The reason why the alien man had not thanked Falloon before hit him, "does she understand what I am saying", Don asked Conley. "Of course Major",the Naloolab know a lot of languages", Conley remarked. "That is why they know they can trust you, they have watched and listened and decided you are not like the others".

Don swallowed and looked up at the bug, "did you kill Lyric", he asked boldly. Falloon chittered at Conley for a few minutes. "No, Lyric is not dead. Falloon asks that I show you where she is held'. She wishes to reassure you that they are not merciless, even to enemies", Conley told him.

Sliding off the bed, Don found himself shaking for a few second and looked over at the arm that hurried to support him ,it belonged to Falloon and not Conley. "Here, we retrieved a uniform for you from the Jupiter 2", Conley added as he handed it over. Don quickly got dressed then followed the man through the mists .He really did want to see Judy, but felt that this was important. Anyway he had not really thought of what he was going to say to his wife yet. Did she actually want to still be his wife. Admittedly the bit of doubt in his mind was probably why this side mission was a bit of a relief.

They came to what was clearly a small cell. There inside were not one, but two of the alien women. Caci and Lyric looked at him. "Let us out", they asked. Don did not move. He could clearly see the guard looking over at him. This was the biggest insect he had ever seen. "This is Jaloo, leader of the Naloolab", Conley told him. "Umm hello", Don stated nervously. He held out his hand in greeting and was rather surprised that the bug gripped his hand and shook. 'We know that custom too Major", Conley told him. "So you see Caci and Lyric are not dead, merely inconvenienced". "Yes, I do see ,but what will happen to them", Don asked. "I know they have hurt all of us, but just executing them does not seem right". Ultimately I guess ,they are just following orders".

Conley looked at him, "you are generous Major, they have hurt you many times and would do it again". They have done much more to me. Though you are right, it was mainly because they followed orders. Caci and Lyric are only alive now for two reasons, one I want them to know the truth", he paused. The other is a little harder to explain. I was going to wait until we joined the others. However you are the one Jalloo wishes to negotiate with".

Don saw the bug had twisted its head and regarded him with an expression that he interpreted as expectation. "You know I am actually not in charge", Don told her. "Yes, we know, but you are the only pilot that has actually survived an encounter with the others", Conley stated. "Since they did not realise you were the one actually flying the Jupiter 2 they did not immediately execute you." That remark made Don feel rather faint again. "Continue", he rasped out . "The second reason Lyric and Caci are not dead is that the Naloolab believe in family Major", Conley told him. "Family, what has that got to do with their survival", Don asked. "Lyric and Caci are my daughters Major, just like Falloon is also my daughter", Conley explained. Don stared, "she is your actual biological daughter", he remarked staring at the giant bug. "Yes Major ,Jalloo is my wife". You see I am also of the Naloolab", Conley knew that explanation was probably not one Donald West had ever considered.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13- caught in the crosssfire

Many years ago...

Maura was the leader of her people. Their world was a unique one, where 2 very different Naloolab species lived side by side in harmony. There were her kind ,the insect form, large formidible hunters, that provided the food sources and kept their world safe. Then there the bipedals who looked totally different yet their DNA was 99 percent identical. They were smaller and delicate of body, yet with other amazing talents. They were the creators. The ones with the vision and talent to build the many things that came into their minds. They built the ships that carried them out into space to begin relationships with others on different worlds.

It was through interstellar travel that Maura discovered many species on other worlds were terrified of their insect version. They resembled the tiny creatures that were loathed often only because they looked hideous. When she saw that these insects were squashed underfoot or poisoned her horror grew.

She returned home and decided that only the bipedal form would travel off world. This plan was agreed upon by all. Thus the people they met never even suspected that they were related to a giant insect. Many lucrative trade deals came their way and their world prospered. The two different species of Naloolab lived side by side at that time not intermingling ,though that was not forbidden.

Then there came a time when one bipedal bonded with an insect form Naloolab. That couple produced the first of the new Naloolab. Her name was Jalloo, which in their language meant joined.

Maura thought it was wonderful , but realised that many in the wider universe might not feel the same. It was unfair that only one species of Naloolab got to travel off world. So she made a tough decision and decided to stop all travel . This was a fact many on her world did not agree with. Why should they hide, was the question, they were not a violent species. All they wanted was to share their fortunes with others.

As the protests of all of the Naloolab got louder Maura stepped aside as leader and gave over the vision of the future to Jalloo. She began to travel offworld again, taking with her representatives of all three species of Naloolab. For a time all was well. But there is always a defining moment for every species and it came when the two of the worlds found out that the creatures they referred to as insects actually mated with ones that looked 'human'. Their kind was now referred to by a new word, abominations .Even though the citizens of the world could see the true facts with their eyes they began to spred stories. In those tales the offspring of a bipedal and insect were twisted mutant creatures with body parts from both types appearing in random placements .If that lie was not bad enough they added the fact the offsprings minds were warped by the breeding and were merciless killers.

Of course most of what they said was utter rot, offspring were always the same type as their mother and nothing else was biologcially possible. The second part had an element of truth, a hybrid shared some of the elements of both species, the insect form in particular had become intelligent predators. That was most likely the worlds worst nightmare.

In order to keep the peace Jalloo sent representatives to an off world meeting . There all three species would swear that they would never attack anyone and sign a treaty as a sign of goodwill. That discussion ended with the heads of her people being sent back to her with a message, "you are too disgusting to keep on living."Now Jalloo feared for her peoples safety. What if those other worlds decided to rise up against them. It seemed a definite possibility.

She had to do something to ensure her peoples safety. The Naloolab had a military force, though this had never been used for any type of conflict. To go down that road now meant the other worlds would feel justified in attacking their world. So she would sent some of this force out to scout for a more secluded world the Naloolab could use as a second colony in case their home world was attacked.

Jalloo felt the responsibility weigh heavily upon her as she made this decision, she was young to be a leader and as yet unmated. The once glorious future she had imagined for herself and her offspring was now fading as fear took hold. She had made the wrong choice she realised in deciding to recommence off world travel. Jalloo knew she must not be alone in her worries. She had long ago realised that people felt separated from their leader. Thus she had sent many of her own staff to work amongst them . That included members of the military. One of these ,a young bipedal, had become her voice for the people. With a soft knock, he entered, a man just over 6 feet in height . He had an honest direct way of telling her things and was not weighed down by the double talk of more senior officers. He had started off just standing at attention in front of her and reporting. Now he was more comfortable they had established an easy going, very friendly relationship. She sat at a table with him and they drunk Kallah tea together for a few moments. "Conley ,tell me truly, what do my people think of moving to another home", Jalloo asked.

Conley looked her in the eyes and kept his eyes upon her as he told her honestly, "many are afraid that actually leaving the planet will provoke the hostile response you are fearing if we stay." A force of ships in space may look lilke a conquest and not just peaceful exploration". "Others believe we should at least try to leave. Then there are those who say we should fight for our freedom. We have the strength to overpower many of those who speak against us. So opinions are divided".Conley knew that fighting was a dangerous path and one no leader had ever taken before . The universe feared them already and would send every force they had to eradicate them if they even raised one weapon anyones way. It was the choice of the leader however.

Conley studied her boldly, noting the softness of her skin .He had to restrain himself from reaching forward to stroke her. At least the eye contact gave him an excuse to look upon her. He had realised on their second meeting that he found her very attractive and had to try hard to push those feelings aside. That was becoming almost impossible though.

"What should we do then", Jalloo worried, whatever choice she made might lead to an attack. How could she decide that for her people. Whatever happened they would blame her. Many already did, she realised with a sudden sadness. The weight of leadership now bore all its pressure upon her.

'Bond with me", Conley swallowed as he suddenly realised he had said out loud what was on his mind. How dare he, be so forward he thought in shame. Jalloo was their leader and as such would be looking for a mate of much higher status than him. Even though he was the son of Jaman, her military general, he was himself not an important figure in the miltary. He expected to be slapped by one of her long elegant legs. Jalloo stared at him in shock. "I am sorry leader ",Conley quickly apologised.

He thought that perhaps the time had come to make a quick exit, "Attacking is not an option. I think our best option is to both stay and leave. That way at least some of our people will survive if an attack does happen. Those that do leave should do so in small numbers. If they are attacked then our plans may have to change", he said it rapidly then turned to leave. "Wait", Jalloos voice halted him. Of couse she had been surprised by his sudden offer. He had been coming in here over a period of several months to give her reports and they had gotten increasingly more relaxed with one another as time had gone by. He was always professional , keeping his distance, but if she thought about it she could see that there was more than just admiration in his gaze. She should throw him out, and appoint someone else. But she did not because she knew there was a reason she had kept requesting his presence. Conley was very personable, and charming, as well as having a pleasing physical appearance. "Yes, I will", she found herself blurting out. Now she had a chance to actually have the future she had wanted. "What", Conley had stopped and turned around to stare. "I will bond with you Conley Broolon", Jalloo insisted. "Then we will join those that venture beyond this world. I must be a bold leader now, to show others the way of the future. But I will also follow your suggestion, those that want to stay can. They can choose a new leader from amongst them".

She had summoned a minister within 5 minutes and 30 minutes later became Conley's mate. He was a hybrid himself having an insect father and a bipedal mother. Their offspring though would only be insects. They would however have the benefits of longer life, extra strength and heightened intelligence.

Hand in claw they had departed 5 days later. In total 30 ships with 150 Naloolab per ship, left the planet. They spaced their departure times over a few months. Then rendezvoused at a point in space and together began to search for a new home. Their journey was long and arduous . Many worlds they had passed would not be suitable because of their proximity to populated areas of space. If they settled there history may just repeat itself. Any populated planet was also removed from contention. They were not a race who would take a planet by force. That would bring reprisals upon the rest of their people upon the homeworld.

Finally after travelling through a large seemingly lifeless part of space they found a beautiful world. Of course it was not inconceivable that others may find this world and their troubles would begin again. So they fashioned a space station out of many of the large ships. The bipedal form would be the representatives upon that station, though insect forms would also be there, hidden, in case there was a need for protection at any stage.

Jalloo was happy to settle upon the solid ground, she was due to have their first child within days. The world had a theory about that as well, that they produced hundreds of offspring and fed upon them until only one was left. It was a rather sick lie. They could only have a maximum of two children at a time. The world was in no danger of being overrun by Naloolab.

So began their new life and it was good. Their world was enriched by a balance of technology and ancient practices. The bipedal forms traded with many visiting races via the space station and nobody was any wiser that there was a planet beyond the shattered remnants of asteroids. Soon their race numbered in the thousands.

Jaloo was confident that they could now bring the rest of their people to settle upon this world. They had not kept in contact with the homeworld as she did not want anyone to track the signal. She decided that it was best if she and Conley made the trip home themselves to reassure the rest of her people that all was well. They took along with them representatives of all 3 species who wanted to persuade family members upon their homeworld to leave. Because the trip could be dangerous they left Falloon in the care of friends.

They had been travelling for 3 months when they got a message, their daughter Falloon was very ill and could even be dying. Abandoning their quest they returned to their world. They bypassed the station and landed upon the planet.

Conley and Jalloo stepped out of their craft. Ahead of them they saw one of their colleagues, an insect form ,rushing to meet them. She collapsed 3 metres from their feet and they watched as the skin upon her body simply burned away.

"What the hell", Conley remarked. It was then that they saw them, the others, coming over the hill completely enclosed in spacesuits. Conley detected a strange aroma in the air. "Get back in the ship, now", he yelled to Jalloo. They had been tricked by the message he realised, something was wrong. Beside him Jalloo was beginning to make chittering sounds that clearly meant distress. Conley pulled out the weapon that had rested by his side. He had never had cause to fire it before. He could feel his hand shaking and knew it was not due to fear. Green mist was floating around him and each breath was becoming an episode in agony. Beside him Jalloo was frothing from her mouth. As Conley fell to the ground, he saw the suited ones approaching his wife with a giant net. He tried to go to her aid but his body would not respond. He let out one enraged scream as everything around him went black.

He awoke to find himself tied hand and foot and staring into the face of a beautiful bipedal. Vaguely he recognised that one of the worlds they had visited had a species like this. "What is going on", he demanded. She touched his face. "Oh you have missed some fun darling . So just to catch you up, I will show you what has happened since you have been gone." I recorded it all, especially for you and your glorious leader to watch".

Conley twisted and fought as she mentioned Jalloo. He could see that she was not in this room. "Where is my wife", he demanded. The woman slapped him hard, "I am in charge now darling and expect you to obey my every request".

"Not likely", Conley replied angrily. She just gave him a rather evil smile, "you will change your mind after seeing what became of most of your beloved insects"."Watch darling".

It was then she showed him the horror. A large ship had docked with the station. It was battered and worn, with blast holes marring most of its surface. This was a ship that had encountered danger. "Please help us", the desperate cry of the Captain tore right through the hearts of those on the station. So permission to dock was given. She had fallen out onto the deck, tears pouring from her eyes. 'Thank you, thank you". My name is Ollia, I am from the Planet Grenalle . We were transporting violent dissidents from our world to a penal colony when the prisoners broke free. Most of my crew were killed in our efforts to regain control. Finally we managed to trap the prisoners in the cargo hold. Our ship has been further damaged by encountering the asteroid belt and this has increased likelihood the prisoners will break free again. Please can you help us restrain the prisoners and repair the ship".

"Of course ",agreed Felana, the bipedal in charge of the station. She ordered the insect forms into the ship. As soon as they opened the doors to the holding cells they were enveloped by a green mist. The doors slid shut, trapping the insect forms inside. They hit themselves against the walls time after time ,making harsh chittering sounds with each slap. The walls became stained with bits of the insects bodies and their pounding rose with increasing savagery . It went on for 45 minutes , before finally the broken insects collapsed onto the deck and died of their horrific wounds. Felana had seen it all and realised that Ollia had not told the truth. It was likely that she was actually the criminal. Grabbing every weapon she could Felana passed them out to the rest of the crew. She awaited the arrival of a force of prisoners. The sensors told her there were 400 of them. Ultimately she knew they were outnumbered. Before he eyes her colleagues were felled by a mass of prisoners that surged forward and leapt upon them. She heard her colleagues scream as they died.

It took 5 prisoners to subdue her . Tied hand and foot she was taken into custody. Locked in a small room, she was asked repeatedly where the other Naloolab were. Felana refused to answer. So Ollia pumped a small amount of gas into the room. The urge to feed suddenly coursed through Felana with a pulsing force that made her hit hard against the window of the room. Normally bipedals did not feel the blood rage that drove the insect form to feed. But now she knew what it was like, a pulsing pain that needed to be sated. "Now you know how it feels. Tell me what I want to know", Ollia instructed. "No", Felana screamed out. More gas was pumped into the air. Felana lost all control then, she just wanted to kill anything. Flying at the door full force, Felana felt pain as her legs were shattered. She stumbled to the floor and lay there bleeding. It was then the door opened and Ollia entered. She began to kick her forcefully. "You will tell me what I want to know". It will be interesting to see how strong this form of Naloolab can be".

200 kicks later Falena finally gave into the pain and told Felana," we have a planet" .Then she died.

Ollia turned off the film and looked over at her captive, he looked suitably horrified, soon he would feel even worse. "So now you know what happened to those upon the Station. I will be using that place for my own purposes "

" Just so you understand what I am capable of let me tell you a little about myself. On my world I was sentenced to death for the crime of biological warfare", Ollia stated. "Nobody appreciated the idea of using different types of gas to alter the chemistry of certain beings and turn them into mindless killers."I had experimented upon a few of my own people, ones I was sure nobody would miss. I had a lot of success and perhaps that was when my downfall began. My experiments began to commit rather colourful crimes and my government began to take notice of what I was doing. That was when I was infiltrated by someone who pretended to agree with my goals . He led me into a trap which caused myself and and all of my followers to be captured .So my world sent us off on automated ships to die in space. They were too gutless to carry out any sentence themselves. Which was probably a good thing as it allowed us to take control of the ships. However the craft were very damaged by then and we had few options left. That was when we picked up the faint engine trail left by one of your craft".

That trail was degraded and it has take us awhile to follow it to its source. You have done an amazing job of building a new world for yourselves. I remember meeting your people when you came to sign that treaty. There was a lot of fear about those hideous insects. There is a species nobody would miss I thought then. If only I had the resources necessary to do my testing upon your own world I would have never been condemned to die. However wrong choices can sometimes be fixed. When I recognised that I had the fortune to cross paths with the Naloolab again I decided to take advantage". Your world is the perfect hiding place, which gives me an opportunity to finally have a life again". I am not the type of want to share with insects thus I had to take decisive action against this form of your people".

Ollia turned to him and calmly gave him more shocking news , "most of the insect form on the planet are dead. Unfortunately I used a too high concentration of gas and it eroded their bodies, within minutes. They would have died in agony. There are a few hold outs, who have gone into the underground tunnels you use to supply power to your homes. Many of the bipedal forms have joined forces with them, hoping to overthrow us. I am sending a force of my own people, equipped with the gas to poison them all". "No please", Conley begged as he threw himself to his knees in front of her.

"Then tell them to surrender", Ollia stated. Conley was already disgusted by her violence and knew that surrender was going to carry a heavy price. "Alright", he agreed. Ollia rubbed her hand along his face, "just so you don't get any ideas I am going to show you a picture of some of those we are holding captive".

He was shown Jalloo and Falloon tied tightly within bonds of wire. "They and the other occupants on your ship are all held in another location. If you betray me then they will suffer the consequences", Ollia told him.

"I understand", Conley sobbed. He took a breath, he must now be the leader for his people and make the decision. Ollia released the bonds on his legs and took him and her army down to the underground tunnels. There Conley saw 1000 Naloolab awaiting them. He held a white flag out as a sign of truce and informed them. "I come to give you a message", "What have you got to say mate of the leader", a bipedal asked him. Now it was time for him to make his choice.

He chittered a command to the Naloolab and all of them raised their extremities in surrender. The insect forms looked particularly strange lying flat down on their stomachs. "They all submit and await capture", Conley told Ollia . "Forward", Ollia ordered her men. Conley estimated there were about 350 men in her army. There must of been more than one prison ship he thought idly. He did not know if this was all of her forces.

The others reached the Naloolab. That was when his people, for the first time in history, attacked.

"So you made your choice, Ollia screamed as she kicked out at him. He dodged the kick and started to run.

It was then he noticed a green mist beginning to catch up with him. He had thought that since Ollia's forces were not in suits that she would not use the gas. She however was not prepared to lose this fight now, even if it meant killing a lot of her own people in the process.

He felt rage fill him as he sucked in the gas. Ahead of him he saw a brutal battle begin as his people gave into their blood lust and began to tear both the others and members of their own kind apart.

Conley vaguely felt that his rage should be reserved for the one that caused his misery. He turned back to Ollia. She had a mask on her face preventing her from inhaling the gas. He ran toward her. But lost sight of her as the mist deepened. Soon the entire underground chamber was filled with the gas.

His legs felt as heavy as his mind as he searched for her. Without warning he found himself flying off his feet as something swept into him. His last conscious thought was for Jalloo and Falloon. Conley expected not to awaken again.

So he was rather surprised when he found himself lying on a soft bed in his own home. The woman standing over him fractured any hope that this had ended well. 'You killed a lot of my people as well as all of your own Conley. It has done you no good, you have lost and my people hold this world. There are not a lot of us left unfortunately so we are going to have to make up numbers somehow. I think that bonding with someone who has some insect in them could be rather useful. Thus you now my mate." Ollia announced.

Conley just stared at her. "What about my wife, daughter', he asked softly. He awaited the bad news. "Oh death is not a fitting enough punishment for them Conley. I am sending them along with the other insect forms from your ship up to the station. There they will be used to kill anyone who dares to annoy me. Of course they won't do this willingly. So I will pump my lovely gas into one section of the ship. It will be enough to permanently enrage them. "

You will have to watch what they become my dear and you will not care. Because I am going to suck all the love you have out of you one piece at at time."Your war was brief Conley and you lost. Now the suffering will begin".Ollia smiled at him.

xxxx Present Day

Conley lifted his head to look at Lyric and Caci. "Now you know the truth daughters. This world was never yours. It was a Naloolab world . You mother is a mass murderer who has almost killed off an entire species . The only Naloolab left alive are those upon this station".


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14- the end of the war

The story of the Naloolab hung in the air, heavy with tragedy. Conley's red eyes leaked tears that showed no sign of abating, he had finally given into the distress he'd been unable to feel for years. Jalloo, the giant insect , whos visage could instill terror was drooped over, moisture running from her mandibles and her many eyes. They cried separately for a moment before turning to each other. Now there was hesitation in the air, these two may be bonded, but they had not been truly together for a long time. Who was going to make the first move. Both had suffered unimaginable horror ,even not caring the fate of their beloved at times. Can you come back from that. Don felt his problems with Judy were insignificant, compared to what these two had been through.

It was Conley who made the first move, slowly moving toward Jalloo and wrapping his arms around her. Her head raised upward to look at him. They both just sat there for a moment looking into the depths of each others eyes and seeing the emotion that swirled within. Jalloos front legs came up to encircle Conley and pull him gently toward her. Don could clearly see him shaking as he rested his head upon the softness of her abdomen. He felt like he was intruding, but could not look away.

Feeling his own legs go a little shaky Don sat on the floor and wondered what he could say in response. He could not erase the years of suffering.

Lyric did not have any problem , her eyes were defiant as she yelled, It's all a lie". "You are the killers, not us. Can you deny you have caused the deaths of thousands of our people".

Conley had known that the truth was not going to be easy to hear and there was always a possibility that he would not be believed .He did not move from Jalloo's arms replying in a voice that dripped icy cold contempt, "yes we are killers Lyric. But not because we wanted to be. Many have died because the gas drove my people into a blood frenzy, in that state all control over their will would have been gone, and anything they saw would be killed and eaten. There were no benefits to us at all, that was part of the fiction Ollia maintained to justify what she was doing. Do you think we enjoyed killing all those people. No Lyric, it will haunt our dreams for the rest of our existance". He stared Lyric in the face, daring her to look at the pain he was sure was etched permanently in his eyes. Lyric turned away. Caci had said nothing , just looking down at the floor. Her shoulders heaved as she tried to get surging emotions under control.

Conley looked over at Don who was ghostly pale and looked like he wanted to be violently ill. He knew the Major did believe them. When Don raised himself up and then walked over to stand in front of the cell he wondered what the pilot was going to say."Conley is telling the truth Lyric. I think the evidence of that has always been right in front of you. Look at all the technology on your world. Yet you do not know how a lot of it functions. That is why an armed ship has sat within your midst for years without you even realising". If any of you could have flown that ship then they would have travelled off world. But Ollia could never allow that to happen."Conley told me that no captured pilot has ever survived a meeting with the others. Your leader does not want anyone who knew the truth about the Naloolab hunting others to leave the world. She fears that knowledge would bring others to investigate and someone may recognise her as an escaped prisoner. That would bring down the wrath of many worlds. I think that most likely she kept off the station so that none of the potential trade partners realised who they were dealing with. Only those who could become breeding stock were actually dealt with agressively". Don broke off, feeling the heaviness of sorrow weighing him down. He realised they had been the lucky ones in all of this.

Lyric was still shaking her head, it moved with such violence that if it could it would most likely fall from her neck. "There is one little fact that makes this all out to be a lie'. She smiled sadly at Don, "you surprise me Major, still believing in a sob story". You are still young though, so maybe that is a factor." She took in a sucking breath, "we are all breathing this so called killer gas into our systems".

Don could feel Conley staring at him his gaze speculative as it ascertained his reaction to Lyric's words. He did not know much about the type of gas used in this instance, but he did recall what happened to the cockroaches that resided in his uncles barn after years of being sprayed. "I think they are now immune". He swallowed rather nervously as sudden fear hit him. Conley may be serving justice upon Caci and Lyric by making them breath the toxic air, unfortunately they too would be effected. "We are not though", he whispered.

Something rubbed along Don's arm. He looked over to see Falloon behind him. Her leg stroked him softly and she chtiterred at him. Conley spoke for her."Do not fear Major West, we would not visit our horrors upon others. You are correct, it was barely a few years ago that our minds began to recommence their normal patterns. It was then that for the first time we could begin to plan . Ollia could never find out we were immune to the gas, she would have just upped the dosage . There was always one of them, she pointed at Lyric," upon the station, thus we had to be very careful. We made a subsitute for the gas, which resembles it but carries none of the side effects. Lucky for us Ollia has never tested the air in here."

Don put his hand out over Falloon's claw, "I am not sure what to even say to you all. There has been so much suffering and pain, that I cannot really even imagine what you all must be going through. I do know what it is like to lose your home and family, it is something that stays with you for a long time and influences your like profoundly." Don was so surprised he was speaking like this, he would never been so emotively vulnerable in front of the Robinson's or Smith he realised sadly. To let himself feel his own pain in front of these beings felt right. His voice was breaking as he finally told them," I made a promise to Conley to help him and I extend that to all of you". Conley nodded his approval of that statement. Falloon chittered softly at him reaching one claw out to gently touch his face. Then surprisingly she gently pulled him forward and enfolded him in what was definitely the bug version of a hug. "I thank you for having the courtesy to say that to us Major. We are not alone in suffering, as you have observed", Conley told him.

Don swallowed that thought down, "there have to be others who like us were captured as potential mates Conley", he whispered. Conley nodded, "yes there are many Major." The planet is a vast one with many of the homesteads situated in isolated positions. I believe that was probably done purposefully, to make it even less likely those who were captured could escape. Of course that means that freeing those people would be equally as difficult". If I could have helped any of them I would have Major. My own punishment was that when I was not being physically tortured I had to serve upon the station, to see my people, know they were suffering and be unable to help them. Even when I came up here with you I was not sure of what, if anything I could do". Conley took a breath and told him everything. "Do you want to know the full cost of our brief war Major. There are only 50 of us left. It is not enough I know". Just like Jalloo I must live with the consequences of my choice, I ordered my people to attack and now most of them are dead. Even though I know that the probability was high they would have died anyway I still have to live with the consequences of that choice." Now my race faces other choices and I need advice on the course to take."

Conley broke off and looked at him speculatively ". That caused Don to ask, "What is it you want of me Conley".

xxxxxxxxxx

Judy's clothing was sodden from the tears that ran down her face. She , her family and Dr Smith were in the alcove listening to the story of the Naloolab through the speaker. It was one that invoked alot of memories, of her own lost home, friends and wider family, and also of shattered dreams. Back home she would have already married Don and perhaps had a family . She would not be worrying constantly that they may die the very next day. Even now she could still feel that possibility in front of her, in the form of the giant insects that stared at her. Penny may be relaxed around them, even consider them to be friends , but she could not override the fear she felt every time one got too close. That made her feel rather weak. Her only consolation was that Doctor Smith looked like he wanted to scream and run as far away as possible.

Looking over at her father, she noted the concern upon his face and the fact he kept looking at the door. "Are you worried about Don", she asked softly. John nodded, "I have to wonder why he has not returned to us yet. They took him aside for a reason. "

Doctor Smith swallowed, "there are two peoples and only one ship", he stated nervously. "True, but I am not sure they want him just because he is the only one who can fly the ship", John replied. "Don is also the only one of us who has actual combat experience. I fear that the Naloolab are considering retaliation and want Don to help them plan any action. They have been held prisoner too long and it has dulled their ability to plot decisive action against their aggressors . You see Judy , I think the Naloolab still think they are fighting a war."

"You are not wrong about that". John felt himself smile despite the gravity of Don's comment. He was relieved that Don had not been held by the Naloolab. "Every time the others send someone up to participate in the run, they tell them that they will get rewarded if they survive. That ensures the people they send want to fight aggressively to survive. Essentially they are enticing others to finish their war for them." Many Naloolab have died that way."

Don sighed and sat down on a seat and stared at the ground, "they did ask for military advice. I told them I had to think about it". "Don we cannot fight a war", Maureen said gently. She could tell he had been deeply affected by the Naloolabs words. They all had, but because Don had actually been in combat, he would have a greater understanding of the effects of battle. "You would not be fighting their war Maureen, only I would'. So the responsibility is mine alone", Don replied.

John frowned at that . He was not used to their pilot sounding so out of character. Don was usually so decisive and sure of himself. But ever since his accident he had been subtly different. It felt unfair to point out the obvious now, but John knew he had to snap Don out of the emotive moment and help him think clearly. "Don you are the only one who can get us away from here. So no, the responsibility for what happens next does not just rest upon your shoulders".

Don looked over at him, sadly, softly, and said that horrible thought that lingered in his mind, "then that means we do not help them. The risk is too great John, I have already figured that part out. I can give them advice of course, but it really will not do them any good, they are outnumbered and outgunned. Then of course we can't forget the possibility that Ollia can still manufacture more of that gas. " She holds all the cards".

"I just delayed telling them all this because I don't want to be the one that takes away all the hope they have left", Don stated. He was shaking and tears streaked his face. He felt truly so defeated, broken, as though he too had lived through years of suffering. It was all because he knew that the war was over and the Naloolab had been defeated. They had lost the planet and there was no way they could ever get it back. He was not sure they could help the others on the surface either, because they simply did not have the resources. Essentially they had to condemn those people to living the rest of their lives under the rule of Ollia.

John looked over at Judy who had sat the entire time just looking at her beloved .He nodded his head over toward Don. His message was clear, go to him.

Judy shook off her own uncertainty. She could not expect him to be the one to make the first move. He looked so vulnerable, alone and it struck her deeply. It was her that had walked away from him, and now as she saw how off balance he was she deeply regretted that decision .Moving forward, she simply wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. "Darling, you are not alone", she said.

Don had felt himself tense for just a second in her arms. Then he gave in to emotion and clung to her hard. "Why don't you two find somewhere private ", John suggested. Don nodded and gently led Judy off into the mists.

Maureen clasped her husbands hand tightly. "What do we do John", she asked. John stroked her hand, he would normally suggest negotiation. The Naloolab could hold the station and that meant something. If the planet did not benefit from the trade of other worlds then it may suffer. Thus it was in Ollia's best interests to ensure the station remained functional. Unfortunately she did not need to keep the Naloolab alive to achieve that aim. In his mind he had an image of them all being exposed to the deadly gas. Ollia had yet to make the move to wipe out the rest of the Naloolab, but it did not mean that she would not. "I think there is only one choice Maureen. It is still a tough one. The Naloolab home world may still be intact . So perhaps it is time for them to leave."

"What about the others that have been captured", Penny asked. "We have no choice Penny, we cannot free them. But without the Naloolab they will not be sent to the station to face death." He did not add that Ollia could just think of some other threat. "It is not good enough", Penny protested. She looked over at her insect friend who was lurking in the larger space ,looking over at them. When Maura had them trapped in the room, she had tapped out the word, help. At the time Penny had not known whether she was offering to help them or whether she needed their help. The Naloolab definitely needed help and so did many others. She could not just turn away. Think of something Penny, she told herself. In her mind though there was a void .

"Lets get some rest, sleep just might help us find another solution", John suggested. He took Maureen's hand and pulled her away slightly, into the deepest recesses of the alcove.

Penny went over to join Will, cuddling her brother close. She had never seen him so despondent . Smith too looked defeated, his whole body sagging like a deflated balloon. it made him look older she realised. Penny closed her eyes, she hoped that sleep would bring some ideas into her mind.

xxxxxxx

Judy stumbled into another small alcove and pulled Don along with her. It hurt to even look him in the eye, to see the pain that was reflected within. His eyes were bloodshot and puffy, making him look sick. That affected her even more. Tears streaked her own eyes as she held him and confessed . "Oh Don, I am so sorry. I have not been a good wife", she drew out a breath. "It was fear, the thought that I could one day lose you. It was suddenly better not to love, to feel anything. So I just shut myself off instead. It was the wrong thing to do Don. I do want to be your wife," she stroked her hand down his face.

Don captured it in his own and held on tightly. He took a few seconds to get his own thoughts in order. "You are not alone in feeling afraid. I am not used to feeling fear pulsing through me Judy. But now I can't seem to shut it out. At the moment I feel like everyone needs my help and I am not strong enough to be any use".' He could feel a tear forming and felt a moment of self loathing.

Judy stroked her hands over his shoulders. Suddenly she felt anger surge within her. "Damn the Naloolab for off loading upon you Don. It is not fair. What do they expect us, a mere 7 people, to actually do".

Don had heard the important word in the sentence, us, he knew Judy was telling him he was not alone. He pulled her close to him and kissed her . "I want to be your husband Judy', he said firmly. About that he could be decisive . "Good, as I recall we did not have a wedding night', Judy said cheekily. Don she noted flushed at that. "Ah Judy, I am sorry, that is going to have to wait a little longer. I am still not healed enough to.., he looked embarrassed as he broke off.

In a way Judy felt relieved,but not because she did not want to be with Don. This was simply not the right place or the right time.

She lay down on the raised platform and pulled Don down beside her. He nestled close ,his arms cradling her gently. They held each other like that, staring into each others eyes until they both drifted off to sleep.

xxxxxx

In another alcove Conley tried to relax in his wife's soft grip. She would never hurt him, he knew that. But he could not help feeling afraid. Her leg reached up to softly brush his face. He held onto it tightly. Some part of him feared that they would never recover. He may yet live to see the violent end of everything he cared about. It was a grim thought that bought more tears into his eyes. It was Ollia's influence he knew. Jalloo chittered softly at him, a melodious sound, meant to sooth him.

It did eventually make him drift off into sleep.

xxxxxxxx

In his dreams John Robinson was running down the corridor of the station screaming his wife's name. All around him were the overblown forms of Naloolab who chittered louder and louder as they tried to drown out his calls. It was almost like they were laughing at him. He just kept running, down a corridor that did not seem to end. Ahead of him he finally saw his wife, with her hand out toward him. But no matter how fast he ran, he could not seem to reach her. "John", she called to him in desperation.

"John", he snapped awake as he suddenly realised he could actually hear his wife's voice. Her tone was almost identical to the one in his dream. That made him feel a sudden surge of panic.

He sat up. It was only then that he noticed that he and Maureen had company. Conley and Jalloo, were squeezed into the alcove and both of them looked panicked. "What is going on Professor Robinson", Conley demanded. John stared at them wondering what they were talking about. "I don't know what you mean", he replied.

"He did not say anything to you", Conley asked quickly. 'He, who are you talking about", John remarked. Conley and Jallo traded glances. John hurriedly got to his feet. His senses had still been dulled by sleep when he first awoke, now he realised he could hear sobbing.

Maureen, was pushing past Conley and John quickly followed after her. In front of them a few metres away stood Judy, tears flowing down her face. "Don is gone", she said simply.

"Gone, what do you mean, what are you talking about", a babbling Doctor Smith hurried out of his own alcove. "You did not know", Conley breathed out slowly ,shockingly. "No, he did not say anything about leaving", Maureen stated as she hugged her daughter. "Some time while the rest of us were sleeping he has released Caci and Lyric and then taken them and the ship. Our sensors tell us the ship is now headed back to the planet", Conley told them grimly.

"What", John was stunned. 'Why would the Major do that. It makes no sense', Smith remarked. He was well aware of the fact that Major West had just stranded them all here.

"He was actually distraught yesterday ", Maureen told Conley. "He did not know how to help your people". To expect him to fight your war for you was unfair Conley."

Conley frowned at her, "we did not expect him to fight our war Mrs Robinson. I know enough about strategy to know there is only one thing we can do. All I asked of Major West was that he take us all back to our homeworld."

"Then what is he doing", John asked. Conley looked over at them, "you say he was distraught". Was this out of character for the Major" ."Yes", Maureen admitted. Conley was thinking about something, she could tell. He turned to Jalloo and chittered at her.

They began to hold a conversation. Maureen could not speak Naloolab but she could tell the type of conversation they were having, she had many of those with John over the years. They disagreed about something. 'What are you talking about", she demanded.

"I remember feeling like that myself, right after Ollia first captured me. It is the first stage of the effects of the drugs she gives to her captives. Somehow the Major has been affected. He know longer knows what he is doing. All that is in his mind is one thing. "Go to Ollia", Conley sadly told her.

"No", Judy said the word bluntly, "he loves me, he would not walk away". "It is what the drug makes you do Miss Robinson", Conley looked over at his own wife ,shadows of sorrow clearly written upon his face.

"There is nothing we can do", Conley concluded. "You will have to get used to the idea of living here with us."

"Oh the pain", a stunned Doctor Smith said it for them.

xxxxxxxxxx

Major Donald West focused upon the controls of the ship. Beside him sat Lyric who was staring at him wide eyed. It had been barely two hours ago that Don had come to stand in front of their cages.

"A visit in the middle of the night, I should be honoured. Have you come to try and convince us of the truth again Major", she demanded. "No, Lyric ,I came to tell you that you were right I did seem gullible. It was just an act, to convince Conley I believed him. They are lying Lyric", Don stated firmly.

Lyric just stared. Caci came over to her side. She had a hopeful look upon her face for the first time. "You don't believe them", she clarified, "because it certainly sounded like you did". "I know", Don stated with a smile.

He then deactivated the locks upon their cells. "So do you still want to leave", he asked. Caci and Lyric just stood ,they were half convinced this was some type of trick. "Where would we go", Caci asked. "Back to your world Lyric, Don told her.

"What, no, Ollia did want us dead ", Lyric protested. "That was just another lie Lyric. It is time to talk to your mother and find out the whole truth, Don stated. Lyric frowned, she felt uncertain about her choices now. 'Lyric, we do not have many other choices. Do you really fancy just flying off back into the dead zone. It might be a very long time before we find another habitable planet. No, you are going to have to trust me now. Do you really think I would go back down there if I was not certain it is the Naloolab who are lying", Don challenged.

Lyric did not think Donald West would have ever gone back to the planet. He was not with the others she noted. That fact was significant. Taking a closer look at him, she noted the redness in his eyes. Conley's eyes were not actually red, it was a side effect of the drug he had been given. Eventually Don's eyes would be totally red as well. He would still be cute, she decided.

"Of course we will come with you Major ,she stated. She hoped that she could turn him over to her mother herself and it would make things right. "Let us go then", Don invited.

He led them both out of the Naloolab environment ,silently picking their way through the resting insects. Once out into the normal part of the station, they ran, all the way back to the ship.

Don fired up the engines. "Lets go home", he said to to his passengers.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15- power play

Doctor Zacahry Smith walked down the corridor of the space station with Will at his side. He was no longer thinking about a few strokes of paint improving this place. He was not thinking of much beyond, "drat you Major" . Will was silent, head down, seemingly studying the dull floor. Say something ,Smith he told himself. 'I think we could make a good life here my boy", he stated. His voice did not sound convincing he noted. Will looked at him , "we have to make a life here . There is a difference Doctor Smith", he said sadly. He sounded so mature, like he was being forced to grow up before he was ready. That really shook Smith. He enjoyed the fun ,exuberant Will, who had a bountiful zest for life. Now it seemed like being captured had drained all of that away. He was just looking at a husk of the former Will. He wanted to say something witty and make the boy laugh. Somehow though he could not manage that. All he could say was "yes , my boy you are right".

At least visiting the Jupiter 2 might take their minds of some of the gloom that hung over everyone

He reached the last corridor and turned toward the docking bay. Ahead of him Will had stopped and was looking over at their former ship. Smith swallowed, had this visit been a bad idea, the Jupiter would never be the same either. He could as he got close see the tears in Will's eyes. Memories of laughter ,good times ,aliens friends and fun with his family were obviously all in his mind. Living here on the station would limit opportunities to have the freedom he was normally given. There was a rather large lump coming into his throat. He hurried forward to capture Will's hand in his own. The boy looked up at him for a second, "lets go inside ", he suggested slowly. Smith could feel an element of reluctance there "we could just go back to the others", he suggested. "No, I think I need to see the Jupiter again, and maybe even say goodbye. I know she is just ship, but it is like leaving an old friend". Smith nodded, "I agree my boy. I may have hated living in her at times and wanted to leave. But now it is actually hard to walk away." It was because he had dreamed of living in a place with soil under his feet and a natural breeze ruffling his hair. This was an artificial environment that lacked the emotional connection that a place filled with life gave you.

While he was pondering this point Will had hurried ahead. Smith, ran to catch up and almost collided into Will who was standing very still just staring around him. Smith took a quick look and found himself feeling affronted, all of the storage compartments were open and their contents had been strewn all over the place. Most likely the aliens had done this as they searched for any supplies they could use. "They could have at least tidied up", Smith mumbled as he looked over the chaos. It seemed like most of it had just been discarded on the floor. If there was anything actually missing he could not immediately state what that thing was.

Will was moving out of the living area toward the flight deck. Most likely he was worried that the aliens could have damaged parts of the ship. It was pure sentimentality . "Come here", Will voice sounded puzzled . Smith hurried to where Will was huddled, looking down at the pilot seat. He looked at the same spot and stared, "what is that doing here", he asked curiously . "Yes it does seem like an odd place", Will reflected. After a few more minutes of staring at the thing he asked, have you noticed what is missing". At first Smith was going to say no, everything was there, even if it was all jumbled about. Then he realised he had missed something rather important, "oh", he said. "Yeah, oh indeed", Will replied. He moved over to the communications panel and contacted his father, "dad, you need to come to the ship". There was a few seconds of delay then, "why", his fathers tired voice asked. "I can't explain, you just need to come and look", Will replied. His father agreed to that request.

Xxxxxxx

The planet

"This has been the best show ever", Hariman called out to his mother. Hari was Ollia's only son ,the eldest of all her children, and normally lived in the Beddington homestead, about 5 hours ride away. He was making the obligatory visit to his mother. She had not greeted him with any type of warmth, barely managing a hello. He had never gotten a hug or any other sign that she even cared about him. That type of warmth had to come from others. Thus he was not concerned that Ollia did not even answer, he just stuffed more food in his mouth and snuggled closer to his Aunty June. June was not his mothers actual sister being around 15 years younger. She was very attractive and Hari made the most of being close to her, placing his arms around her shoulders. She smiled at him,"you are right Hari this is the best episode of the run we have ever seen . Of course they don't know we can hear them as well. It would hardly be any fun at all if their deaths were just silent ones. Those poor things don't even realise they are still playing the game. Making the control room go off line was clever, but it hardly fouled things up permanently", June replied. The picture had come back on about 10 minutes after the power outage occurred. Naturally there were backups and the contestants had not realised that fact. It was certainly interesting to have the males captives in the show as well as the females. That was not something that had happened before. This was most likely only temporary as they were valuable breeding stock.

June grinned as she reflected, "I love the Naloolabs story this time around, I admit I did actually cry, those' all our people have been gassed to death' lines are so dramatic. Ollia's script has been really stunning. For awhile the run was becoming boring". Yes, I agree, but we have not had new contestants in awhile, these Robinson's and the others are good players. I hope they don't die too quickly ", Hari stated happily. He turned away from the screen for a moment to look for his mother . It was strange she was not here watching the drama unfold.

He did see his sister Arina, standing in the shadows staring over at them. "Come on sister, join us", he invited. Arina ignored him. Her face was still stinging from the harsh slap Ollia had given her as a punishment for letting Donald West escape. It had come without warning and knocked her to the ground. She had thought the slap was unfair, as both of them had lost the men they had captive. But no it seemed that punishments were only reserved for those who served Ollia and not for their leader herself. It had shaken Arina, who had always thought she would one day take over the role of leader. But as her mother stood over her, clearly enraged, she had thought she was going to die. Ollia was like that, calm one minute and then flying into a rage in the next. She had moments when that rage was uncontrollable and that was when people usually died. It was always alright when it was not directed at you ,she reflected sadly. Living around her mother was always tense. Arina was looking forward to leaving, while she still could. There was always the danger the Ollia could have her shot.

Was it actually worth the risk to stay. She would have left already but her desire for Donald West had risen to a fever pitch since watching his role in the show. But was she still going to get the privilege of having him. Arina decided she had to be brave enough to press her case. Turning away from the main living area, Arina went to her mothers room.

Once there she stood for a few moments staring at her mother. She seemed distracted and mumbled to herself as she paced her room. Arina wondered if it was actually wise to disturb her. It looked like her mother had thrown a few things around the room as clothing lay in piles upon the floor. She owned the best clothing, most of it had been taken from alien women they had captured for contestants. Of course Ollia always got first pick of the belongings. Arina took a breath then forged ahead with her question."Mother, do I still get my rights to the Major once he lands the ship back upon the surface. Or do we now plan on shooting him", Arina asked. She hoped not, he was a valuable commodity. Perhaps they were going to try and resell him. She swallowed at that thought, her family may have to sacrifice a lot to keep the Major. Ollia would be even richer ,as she took the majority of the payment for the captives.

Ollia stopped pacing and stared at her, her body was so tense and Arina could see her fists had clenched tightly. She noted the blood upon her mothers palms as her nails dug into her flesh. It must hurt but she was not reacting.

She was agitated Arina realised and that was definitely not a usual state for her mother. "Neither", Ollia finally replied. She seemed to have forgotten her earlier attack. That would normally be a good thing, but there was something 'off' about her mother that went beyond her rapid mood swings. Her level of distraction was unnerving. It was almost as if something was not right. But how could that be true, Ollia was clever and planned each moment in the run carefully.

Arina had never asked this question before and was half afraid it might provoke another violent response, yet she needed to know the answer. "Is something wrong", she asked carefully. Nothing had ever gone wrong with the run before. But this episode was more elaborate than any other. She could not determine how it was actually going to turn out. At the moment it seemed like the captives were actually going to survive. It would be a defining moment when they realised they were still being manipulated . That would lead to further, as yet unknown consequences. Perhaps this episode was simply too complex for even the cunning mind of her mother to master. She waited to hear what her mother was going to say

Ollia slowly unclenched her fists and turned toward her with a smile, "no" she said firmly," nothing is wrong. "I just had plans for Conley". He managed to be a little more resourceful than anticipated". Maybe I should have upped his dosage of the drug again. Poor man does not even realise he is still taking the stuff." She loved that fact. Torturing Conley in many creative ways had always brought her intense pleasure. He deserved it for killing many of her friends when he ordered the Naloolab to attack many years ago. She would not have used the gas on her own people if he had not forced her hand. They would have lost that battle without the gas ,as the Naloolab were physically superior to her own race.

Her rage at his act had never dimmed. All that sustained her was the fact that one day he was going to die. It would be the culmination of a wonderful plan ,and an act so monstrous that it would live in the memories of her people for centuries to come. She had thought she would see that moment when he returned to the station. There were catalysts there that could certainly lead to his death. What he had told the Robinson's was flawed by the effect of the drugs that were still within his system. He did not know he was telling them information that would lead them into making decisons that would ultimately result in their deaths. Conley had always been a tool for others destruction. He was just aware enough now that he could suffer from emotional pain as he realised what he had done . That was another fact she enjoyed. It was allowing him to feel free that gave him the incentive to try and plan a counter move. Of course it would never be successful. He was still trying though and that bothered her.

Now he had the help of the aliens who did believe his story. There was very little they could do though. She had her own experts at strategy that had every outcome planned. So she had believed that nothing unexpected could happen. But the problem was that now it had. For the very first time she felt the unfamiliar sensation of worry come upon her. It made her feel vulnerable. She could never let anybody see that fact.

Shaking her mind out of its fog, Ollia became aware of the fact Arina was studying her.

Calming herself down and stilling her face into a neutral expression, she told her daughter, "I want to use the Major to kill Conley. Once he lands, I will dose him up a little more, then send him back to the station". He will sell them a story that he simply set you and Caci free to stop you both dying. Then when they take him back into the Naloolab environment he will shoot Conley". Ollia thought of him dying in the arms of Jalloo, while she desperately tried to save him . It would be a wonderfully dramatic moment. Jalloo may then be so enraged that she turned on the Robinson's. Ollia paused for a breath, drool was collecting in her mouth. She was getting excited again.

Arina pursed her lips, she thought that sending Don back to the station was not a good tactical move. It did not make a lot of sense.

She carefully put forth her opinion. Of course her mother never liked it when others spoke out. But if she had a strong enough argument her mother just might decide she was worthy of Major West. "They already suspect he is drugged mother. So if he returns to the station they will take him into custody before he can taken any action. I think it is wiser to remove him from the show now. He can come back to my homestead . There is no chance he will escape once I get him back". Think of the offspring he will produce, we cannot waste that opportunity". She was already thinking of having him in her bed. It was a pleasant thought that made her blush red.

Ollia's lip twisted upward and Arina tensed. Drool was collecting in Ollias mouth and it spat out toward her, "fool", she suddenly screamed, "your lust blinds your judgement'. "Arina felt herself beginning to get angry. She had always done what he mother had asked. Some of those things had been terrible acts, to people who had actually not done any type of wrong. She kept that knowledge hidden from others on this planet. Ollia wanted her people to live in fear, but to not be so enraged by her acts that they would rise up against her. That, was her privilege and she was not waiting any longer. "So, I want him, I do not deny that. Your desire to eliminate Conley blinds your own judgement. He has been a worthy mate and I would think that perhaps you could be merciful now his time of breeding is over". You are making the wrong choices mother". i have had enough of doing what you say. Once Donald West has landed, I am taking him for my mate and you will not stand in my way".

For one whole minute her mother stared at her. Then she smiled, "so you are finally regaining your fire Arina It makes me proud. " You are right Conley did produce some worthy offspring. " I hope you do the same with your young man."

Arina smiled, she had won. She turned away ready to go out to the landing sight and await the arrival of her beloved. As she walked forward one step, she felt a hand grab her hair and pull her backward with a force that shot pain through her scalp. Her mothers face was twisted in anger as it studied her, "stupid little girl", she stormed, "you know nothing. There is no room for mercy. Conley will die ,as will the rest of that hideous race". I see now that you are too weak to ever rule. Prepare to die".

Fear hit Arina hard, followed by a surge of anger. It was now time to fight for her life. She hit out at her mother, landing a large punch to her stomach. Satisfyingly her mother doubled over and fell to the floor "Little bitch", she screamed. Arina kicked her hard in the knee, trying to keep her down. She had never felt such anger, or such strength. She could defeat her mother and take her place as leader of this world. Donald West would make a suitable consort and she could decide to only have him as a mate.

On the floor Ollia lay, staring up at her daughter . She was strong, and that was aided by the blood of the Naloolab that ran through her veins. Of course Arina did not believe that Conley was part insect. She like others on the planet thought the run was just entertainment ,a story where the deaths of others not necessary to their way of life was planned in creative ways. Nobody wanted to be the next victim so it was a case of shutting off their minds and just enjoying watching others die .

She had done the same .Burying the truth beneath layers of other stories had been an effective way to shield herself from the consequences of her own choices. Years ago as she experimented with her gas, she had inhaled some and it had changed her own personality. She now delighted in the misery of others.

Though admittedly she did have moments when she could see herself, and actual feel repulsed by what she had done. Those times did not last long. As Arina kicked her again, she felt that poisonous rage build. Her daughter did have the strength to overpower her. But unlike her she would want a fair fight. Ollia could not afford to give her one. She wound her daughters hair around her arm and pulled tightly. Her rage enabled her to lift Arina off the ground. She sliced her legs upward in one quick decisive kick. It landed hard in Arina's stomach, prompting a scream. Ollia did not let go of her hair as her daughters body flew downward. Instead she pulled even harder, dragging several strands out by their root. It would be extremely painful. She did not care how much pain she inflicted. Now she was beyond rage, beyond caring, all she wanted was to kill.

Reaching down with one hand Ollia grabbed one of the high heeled shoes she had taken from a female captive. She had never worn those shoes, they just served as a trophy . That particular captive had been one of the most defiant she had ever met. It had been hugely satisfying that Jalloo had removed parts of her body one by one, starting with the long delicate feet that had worn these shoes. Grabbing the shoe hard, heel outward she used every ounce of strength she possesses to propel it into her daughters skull. There was a satisfying crush as the shoe hit hard into the bone and stayed there.

As he daughter lay dying she stood over her and confessed, '"it is not a story Arina, I did gas our own people as well as all the Naloolab. Then I took the husband of their leader, Conley, as my mate, he is actually an insect himself, though you cannot tell by looking at him . You are part Naloolab my daughter, that iswhat gives you the desire to kill as well as to mate. I loved those qualities of the species and wanted to enrich my own people and make them stronger. It seemed to be a more effective method than using the gas. I guess being part bug did not help you much. Goodbye little bitch".

Then stood up and walked away.

Arina could feel the white hot pain pulsing around her. She would never hold Donald West now. As the shadows circled, she moved one hand slowly in her own blood. Maybe in her last few moments she could tell everyone what her mother really was.

xxxxxxxxx

Ollia walked out of her home, not bothering to tell her son or June where she was going. She made her way across to the landing site and awaited the arrival of Donald West. He would come to her she decided so she settled herself a few miles away, in a place where she was not an easy target. Some of the masked ones would join her, taking up stealth positions around the craft.

The ship landed a few hours later. Lyric and Caci were the first ones out, they had a weapon she noted . Hers was a lot bigger of course. She did not point it at them, beckoning them forward. They reluctantly came toward her ,tension clear in their postures. She greeted them with a smile "congratulations my daughters you have survived the run. As a reward I will not kill either of you", she told them.

Lyric did not smile at that. She was well aware of the fact that she might still be living on borrowed time. "We have brought you the pilot Major Donald West ".Perhaps I can now keep him as a mate", she suggested boldly. Don would not be able to resist her. That thought did bring a small smile to her face.

Ollia grinned wider, "Oh Lyric, I might have granted that wish if I had not needed him. Drugging him was pure genius", she praised.

Lyric felt herself go pale, "but I didn't ,she remarked. I thought that perhaps Arina had when she took him from the station".

Ollia frowned at that and felt her anxiety heighten another notch. Forcing herself into a place of calm she told her daughter, "no, she stopped at this homestead because she needed new supplies of the drug".

She turned her gaze to Caci. Maybe her other daughter had actually managed to do something right. "Did you drug him Caci", she asked. "No", Caci admitted.

"Then who did, Ollia asked . She looked from daughter to daughter then back over at the ship. It was the first time she had taken note of the fact that Major West had not joined them. "Where is the Major", she asked.

"He said he needed to make sure everything was shut down properly before he could join us", Caci replied. "I don't think we need to worry too much. He does have all the symptoms of being drugged. Someone on the station could have administered them. Perhaps we we wait and ask him who that was ", Lyric suggested.

She looked over at her mother who was biting her lip. Why did she look worried.

xxxxxxx

The space station

John Robinson stared at what was sitting on the pilot seat. Beside him Conley was puzzled by his frown. He had noted the square board with tiny objects standing on top of the seat and wondered why it provoked that expression. "What is that", he asked. "It is a game we call chess," John replied with a smile. He looked satisfied, like something amazing had actually happened. Conley could not think what that could be. He still felt the gloom of betrayal by the man he had thought would finally set them free. " It is a game of strategy where every move is carefully considered, John told him.

"Really ,why is that important", Conley asked. "The board was not here before, so someone has placed it here to give us a message. The position of the pieces on the board indicates a certain move", John replied. "Don does not normally play this game but he does know what the move mean". I think he is trying to tell us he has a plan". John was sure that was right. "So why did he not simply share that plan with us", Conley asked. John thought that was a very good question. None of the answers that came to mind were good ones.

"Well he should be safe enough the ship is armed", Conley reflected. "Yes, and Ollia does not know that", John stated .

xxxxx

After 1 hour Donald West had not emerged from the ship. "Where is he", Lyric demanded. "Why won't he come out to us", Caci seconded. Ollia clenched her fist, "it is because he is not actually drugged girls. He just made you think he was".

Lyric felt her anger rise and began to move back toward the ship. "What are you doing ", Ollia demanded, grabbing hold of her and pulling her back firmly. She told her daughter, "that ship is armed with powerful weapons. Don't worry if we stay over here,we will be out of range. Conley thought I did not know, but of course I did. I know far more than he ever realised. Major West can do us no harm. He is not stupid enough to come out. All we have to do is convince him to leave."

Ollia contacted her forces. "I will get the masked ones to surround the ship, out of its weapons range. Then we will threaten to blow the ship to pieces if he does not lift off immediately".We can use those weapons we confiscated from that other alien species". Ollia rubbed her hands together. They were sweaty she noted .

Lyric noted that fact too, as well as Ollia's continued agitation ."Mother, we could just demand his surrender", she observed. "You are right, there is very little he can do".He cannot kill us if we stay over here. So if that was his plan, it seems like it has ended up being a stupid one." She had thought Don was more intelligent than that. May be he would not make a good mate after all. Then she looked over at her mother and saw the beads of sweat dripping off her face. That made her wonder if Donald West had another motive.

Caci had been stunned by the fact an armed ship had been sitting in close range to a homestead for years. It was just one more fact that her mother had not shared. Why did she have a feeling there was more information she was hiding. In fact if she looked closely at her mother she saw something ,she had never witnessed before, fear.

"What aren't you telling us mother", she asked.

xxxxxxx

Don activated the speakers within the ship. He wanted to make sure as many people as possible heard what he was going to say. He had realised a few hours ago that they were all still players in a game controlled by Ollia. Conley had ensured the planet had heard his story. It was meant to give them incentive to rise up and rebel. But Don suspected their reaction would mirror Lyrics'. When he had told her he believed Conley was lying he had been telling her a partial truth. While he was certain the story of the war was factual ,some of the acts committed by the enemy did not make strategic sense. Conley did not seem to realise that fact, even though he himself was a member of the military. So he could not judge clearly what was in fact happening. The horrible realisation that Conley was still drugged and unaware of the fact hit him hard. Ollia had not finished with him yet. If she was bothering to drug him then he reasoned that she would still be watching and listening to what was happening. Most likely his attempt to disable the control room had only been temporary.

To reveal that knowledge to the others was to reveal to Ollia that he knew. It was better for him to play his own game. he thought over his moves carefully. Ollia had been always following a plan, that he could count on as a certain fact. But what was the outcome of that plan. What did she ultimately hope to achieve. She was clever enough to have worked out all the moves the Naloolab would make. A terrible realisation hit him. He suddenly knew what her ultimate goal was. One quick action confirmed it for him.

Now he knew what he was going to do. None of the others would approve of that plan. It was simply beyond crazy. But he had realised that they were facing a formidable opponent . The only way to win was to be equally as crazy.

He started off by telling Ollia one little word. He did not know if she knew what it meant. But she knew why he was here.

"Checkmate', he said.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16- surrounded by the dark

"What aren't you telling us mother"

Ollia ignored her daughters question ,focusing her full attention upon the man in the spaceship that rested a few miles away. She had seen the Major launch a communications device, so he could communicate not only with her, but the entire planet. That told her he was hoping to convince everyone that the Naloolab story was true. He was trying to overwrite years of conditioning and that was going to be harder than he ever expected. She did not know what checkmate meant, but it was obvious he was playing a game and hoping to win. He did have something that could give him the upper hand. But she doubted Donald West had the fortitude to see out that plan. All she needed to do was threaten him and keep him off balance.

Since everyone would be watching she drew herself upward, like a Queen and demanded, "Major what do you want". Don replied firmly, "I am here to remove you from leadership of this world. If you do not step down then I am prepared to take deadly action against you"

"Ollia sounded unconcerned as she replied, "really Major ,that is so impolite of you. I do not take kindly to threats hence I have ordered a force of 100 to surround your ship". They carry long range weapons .If you do not lift off within 5 minutes they will fire"

Don was using the ships sensors to study the formation of that armed force .The masked ones carried heavy weapons, capable of inflicting serious damage to the craft. Engaging the shields on the ship would only partly protect it from damage.

He settled back into his seat and felt the coldness of his sweat leach into the headrest . His stomach swirled and heaved making nausea rise up . It was nerves he knew. What they hell did he think he was doing. Don't lose your cool now Don, he told himself. Thankfully Ollia could not see him. He had to keep his voice steady and unaffected as he told her "I see your force carry long range weapons. That is an interesting fact Ollia. Another one is that you have chosen to hide yourself a few miles away", Don stressed the word hide knowing it would annoy Ollia.

"I have to wonder why you would do that. You could just use those forces to storm the ship and drag me out. Conley told me you did not know the ship was armed. Your tactics tells me otherwise. But then I already guessed that fact. How could you not know the ship was armed. You were familiar with the Naloolab and knew they had a military fleet."Conley should have realised that fact as well. Thats what clued me into the fact, he was still drugged. After that realisation came the understanding that most likely we were all still under observation. So you were still playing us, Ollia, in your sick game. It is not a bloody game though, because people are actually dying", he yelled the last bit. The shouting felt satisfying but he doubted it would affect Ollia.

Ollia sucked in a breath, and clenched her fists tightly, if the Major had been here in front of her, she would have killed him slowly and painfully, just for the hiding remark. Lyric and Caci had these appraising looks other faces as if for the first time they realised she was vulnerable. Maybe others thought like that too and that could not continue. The Major was just baiting her and it was time to tell him that he had no hope of winning.

"Major West the run is just a story, with this terrible war being part of the game, the Naloolab are not victims they are willing players. They have chosen to be benevolent this time around. You should be thankful of that fact instead of coming down here to whine". She loved the whine comment. Ollia found her calm returning, she had this.

Don actually smiled at that, she must be flustered if she could use taunts. He knew the perfect counter folley, "if it is not true then why has this armed ship been in this field for years. It is not just a few years either, but the exact amount of time since your war with the Naloolab. This is Conley's ship, Ollia. I suppose part of the reason you kept is was for a trophy. But then you could have just disabled every part of the ship , taking away its ability to fly or fight. The answer to the question, why did'nt you do that", is the one the brought me here. You see I know the answer. I also realise that you know that I do". It is all your people who don't know", Don told her.

Ollia could feel Lyrics gaze boring into her. "What is he talking about, she demanded. All she got was a shrug in response. Lyric could see the sweat beaded upon her mothers brow and decided it meant that she knew what the Major was talking about. it was a secret, locked within her somewhere. She knew her mother did keep secrets and she had never worried about that before. Now she did.

Her mother was a fine actor, putting on truly stunning performances over the years, she could show a range of emotions, all of them were dark ones . She could feel the anger in the air now and the burning hatred Ollia had for Major West. It seemed out of place considering he had not even fired one shot yet. In fact, even if he did fire, he would not hit them. So why did Ollia seem off balance and unsettled by his presence. Lyric wondered if those watching on their screens asked the same questions. As if she could feel their thoughts Ollia stood taller and seemed to draw a mantle of power over herself, when she answered Don it was with defiance "now you have less time Major". My forces will shoot".

"Really, I doubt that", Don countered firmly.

"Why does he think you are not serious",Caci demanded. It seemed inconceivable that her mother did not order her forces to open fire now and prove him wrong. But she had yet to make that move. That was not normal behaviour at all.

Caci saw doubt in her sisters eyes and for the first time felt closer to Lyric. They could agree on something it seemed. But would Lyric be prepared to fight Ollia for control of this situation. Caci could not be sure about that.

Ollia still ignored both of them she noted. It was time to get her attention back."Look mother, whatever you say about the Naloolab choosing to spare us, we have both been threatened by them and certainly believed we were in mortal danger. We are alive now partly because the our father chose not to shoot us. This is the man you just want to kill. Why mother",Caci asked calmly.

Ollia turned to her, her eyes angry, "shut up", she demanded. 'You do not have the right to speak".

Caci inched closer to her sister and surprisingly Lyric reached out and took her hand. She squeezed it tightly within her own. "We do have the right mother, it was you who set the rules of the run. Anyone who survives can claim a reward. We stand ready for that reward". Just saying we have our lives is not enough" Lyric stated. She felt confident for a second, this strategy would work.

Ollia smiled widely, she knew how to counter both her daughters and Major West. She also knew how to appease the people that watched and perhaps thought that Lyric and Caci deserved a reward. Portraying a firmly confident manner she announced "'the show is not over yet ,so rewards cannot be claimed. But I can be generous to my own daughters . You both have leadership qualities and I will let you decide amongst yourselves who is the best suited to your new role. One of you can be the new governor of the Space station. You will be the one spearheading all our interactions with new species. It will be a stepping stone to one day being the leader here. All you have to do is get back on that spaceship and convince Major West to lift off and leave." Since you came here with him and he did not harm you I am sure he will not do so now." if you are prepared to fight that blonde for him then perhaps he could still be the mate of one of you."

Ollia stressed the 'one of you". It was another familiar tactic, divide and conquer.

Lyric frowned, on the surface this choice sounded glorious, an opportunity to finally shine. But it could also be seen as exile, on a space station filled with unfriendly aliens. They would not just be able to walk back on that station and take over. Was her mother just trying to get rid of them. It certainly seemed like that. She could have offered to pardon them for any wrongdoings and sent them back to their homes. Or put them at the top of the list for the next group of men they captured. She had done none of those things. Caci was looking at her appraisingly and she could see a little tear in her eye. Ollia was by saying only one of them could lead trying to divide them .

Usually she would go along with her mothers instructions and do what was expected. She could tell herself she was brave by not doing so now. But really there was no incentive.

"I think I will pass on your offer", she stated. Caci, looked surprised for a second, then nodded, "me too", she seconded.

"Both of you have no ambition ,but that is no surprise. Just stay silent then and watch me deal with this upstart", Ollia told them.

"Now Major, I am waiting for you to lift that ship off and leave. You are now down to a few minutes", Ollia stated firmly.

"A few minutes "Don stressed, "just do it now Ollia, why wait." He sat back in the pilot seat and twirled around a few times, seemingly unconcerned.

Ollia could feel heat working its way up her neck. Time seemed to tick by.

"Well, no order to fire has come yet", Don remarked with a smile of satisfaction. "You can't risk that happening Ollia. Tell your people to back off". He awaited her counter move. She would not give up easily.

"No Major I won't. I am just thinking about the amount of damage that ship will cause when the weapons fire causes it to explode. Shards will fly off into our homesteads and perhaps injure some of my people. You should not have landed so close", Ollia told him.

She was trying to make him out as the enemy to her people. This tactic would make the people even less likely to believe his story. Now it was time to tighten the screws even further, to make him feel isolated and want to return to the station. "Major, rethink your strategy here. You don't want to hurt others. It is certainly not a way your wife would want you to behave. Think of her up there on the station, worried sick about you. Surely you must miss her. You are all alone, fighting some imaginary battle. Go back to the station Major and have that wedding night you have longed for".

Ollia grinned, she had mentioned his isolation to stress the point he was alone here, surrounded by people who did not care. Surely that would make him leave.

Don felt his stomach lurch as he thought of the fact that the people on the planet watched others most intimate moments. It was a total invasion of privacy. They did not seem to care about that. He had known he was being watched when he had gone into the alcove with Judy and that had been another reason all they had done was cuddled.

All these tactics Ollia was using were ones he had expected. They still hurt though, buffeting him like a strong wind ,determined to knock him down. When something cold settled on his hand, Don reached out to clasp it tightly. Ollia had of course looked at the ships sensors and seen only one life sign. Artifical life did not show up on sensors though. The robot was with him to help with the technical details". "Are you sure ,you wish to carry out this plan", the machine asked him. Its claw was still on his hand he noted, like it felt his emotion and was responding. He took a breath, "yes, just do your part robot". "Very well Major", the machine responded.

It was time to get to the point.

"I am not lifting off Ollia and nothing you can do will make me change my mind. You have followed the same tactic over and over, that all of this is just some game. Well if it is then I have a move to make, "I want you to tell everyone the truth".

Ollia knew he was going to get to this point sooner or later. "The truth Major. This is my planet and my people. It is a simple as that", she decided a quick answer was the best now. There had been enough talk.

"So you are saying there was no war. Then there will not be any skeletons lying in a mass grave under your house. I dare one of your people to go and look Ollia", Don countered.

Back in the homestead Hari heard his words. He was looking down at the dead body of his sister at the time. Avoiding looking at the shoe heel imbedded into her skull Hari found himself trying to make out what was written in the blood beside Arina's hand. It was a dying message. He knew there was only one person who could have killed her.

If his mother was here now, she would tell him to mind his own business. Although he might eventually rise to the position of head of his own homestead, he was effectively only breeding stock at the moment and had no real say about anything.

That fact had never bothered him before as he had a lot of privileges, a beautiful home, access to a lot of stunning women, the best food and drink. It was a life many would envy. But there was also something missing. There was a emptiness about his life that made unexpected tears rise up .

He moved closer ,actually standing in the blood. Now he could see the words, "she lies" amidst the splatter. He sucked in a breath. It was time to actually decide something for himself and go down and see what lay in the tunnels below.

Pulling a sheet off his mothers bed Hari covered his dead sisters body. He then set off for the cellar.

Ollia had conveniently forgotten all about killing Arina. All she wanted now was the death of Donald West. She was not going to march up to the ship and get him though. Her approach that was the problem, she realised in stunning clarity. No matter how angry she got he just pushed back against her. So she should try something he would not expect, compassion. She had to reach hard to actually make her voice sound like she cared. "Major I am not going to tell my people something that is simply not true. However I will acknowledge that you have suffered while on this planet and perhaps that is now making you believe the Naloolabs story. You have made me reflect upon the fact our methods of capturing males are too harsh.I promise we will adapt these methods in the future. So you can take off now. You have made your point".

Now her people would see her as a wise and just leader. This was so good, she decided. Yet when she snuck a glance at Lyric and Caci, all she saw was confusion. They were looking at her face, she knew. Why did doubt linger upon it, and not just fade away. Major West was not going to make his final move, he could not. She actually stepped back a fraction, as though she was making the first movement of a retreat. Donald West was not lifting off the ship.  
"Leave you bastard", she suddenly screamed out.

Lyric and Caci stared at her, on one hand she sounded firm defiant, but she actually looked terrified. Surely she was not scared of the man in the ship. He was just a young Major. All he had was an armed ship. Why had he said the word checkmate, what did it mean. Ollia would only be afraid if Donald West could actually hurt them. Lyric suddenly felt terror begin to creep in upon her.

Don knew Ollia was trying to paint him as a disturbed individual so that nobody would believe what he said.

He sounded confident when he told everyone listening, "you made a mistake when you did not have me shot Ollia". I believe Conley when he told me that even other pilot had been killed. Your master plan was not quite ready then. Now it is. I know that you knew I was the pilot of the Jupiter two. It was not that hard to figure out. Ours is a civilian vessel and primarily for exploration , yet there was one of us who carried a military rank. It follows that that person would be the one who controlled the ship."

So if you knew that fact then you also knew that sooner or later I would realise we were being held within a ship. That would make me want to escape and take that ship with me." I was effectively a pawn ". But what was your endgame. If I went through all the scenarios possible there was only one possibility".

"You have been holding the run for years, slowly killing off the Naloolab by making them fight. Soon those numbers would be so low that no counterattack would ever be effective. So what then. Do you just keep on slowly killing them. I doubt that would satisfy you. You wanted revenge on all of them. That's why you left me alive and let me leave. You knew where I was planning to take the Naloolab, back home. It was what you wanted"

"Well you did not get what you wanted. I brought the ship back down here for a reason and I will stand firm to my plan. In fairness to your people it is time to share that plan", Don took a breath. He thought of Judy and the love they shared. Then he told an entire world, "this ship is a bomb. You rigged the drive so that once it was activated a fatal overload would start to build. Once the ship reached the Naloolab homeworld, the drive would explode and every single living thing on that planet would be wiped out. It was, you figured, a fitting end to a species you despised . The only reason I can think for you hating the Naloolab is that they have more strength and honour than you ever will"

"Well now your method of killing others has been turned against you. I came back to this world and I plan to stay here until the drive overloads and wipes you and your people out of existence", Don hurled the threat out in a determined voice that did not shake in the slightest.

Lyric and Caci actually screamed at that comment. Ollia had gone pale, her breathing had sped up, but otherwise she showed no other signs of distress. "Come on Major, don't scare everyone", she stated blandly. She was desperately trying to keep playing this game. He was pushing her now.

"I am serious Ollia, I will kill everyone on this world . It is what you did long ago when you used the gas", Don told her.

"Only this time the outcome will be different, you will all die, but the blast will not affect those on the space station. The Naloolab will survive Ollia and will in time find a way back home".

Your war is now officially over", Don concluded.

xxxxx

The space station

Judy was sobbing again, her whole body was bent over and she struggled to breath as the pain rose up to her ribcage. She had suffered a range of emotions as she had watched the drama unfold on the planet. Relief had hit her when she realised Don was not drugged. Then worry had followed, what was he doing. Now that she had her answer, her mind had gone numb. She knew he was not lying, that ship was a bomb and he was going to let it explode and bring the war to an end. Her greatest fear was now about to be realised. Don was going to die, and it was his choice. How could he just walk away on her, on their love. Her mothers hand settled tightly within her own and Penny snuggled close to her. All of them watched in shocked horror.

"Oh my", Doctor Smith remarked shakily. "Now I know why he said he will deal with this problem alone", John replied. Maureen turned to Conley, 'did you know that ship was going to be used as a weapon of mass destruction" ,she asked bluntly. Conley was pale and shaking, "no, I did not. But given Ollia's methods I suppose it makes sense". He put his head in his hands, "she has been in charge this whole bloody time and we came so close to losing everything".

"Yes, but you have not lost. All because Don realised the truth and was prepared to act, Penny stated. "He's not really going to do it, Will whispered softly, "he can't, thousands of people will die". He had a numb feeling inside as he thought of that fact. Don maybe a soldier but he was also not the type to kill innocent people.

xxxxx

Don looked over his shoulder at the pulsing drive, it was overloading slowly. Soon that energy would reach critical mass and would come bursting outward to engulf everything in its path. When he had looked over this ship, he had realised its drives were a lot like the nuclear ones on earth.

They seemed fine at first glance but when the robot went through the systems he found that the drive overload safeties were turned off. As soon as the engines were activated the drive would begin to overload.

Ollia had left the ship armed because she knew that if the weapons had been disabled anyone who took the ship would be suspicious that other damage could have been caused. Then they would check through each system and find the changes. It was very ironical that the fact the weapons had not been disabled had caused him to search for other flaws.

"I will not lift this ship off Ollia. Yes I will die, but so will all of your people. All you can do to avoid this fact is to surrender." ,Don announced. He rubbed at his face, noting the tears that rolled from his eyes. Of course he did not want to die. Nor did he want to actually become Ollia, a mass murderer. He cared passionately that he was killing the innocent as well as the guilty. But he could think of no other way.

"Even as he sat in a giant bomb he wondered if Ollia was capable of surrender. Maybe her ultimate revenge upon him was to let everyone die. It was certainly a possibility.

He waited for her answer.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17- endgame

Hari stared at the mass of bones that lay in front of him. His first impulse was to run from this place, not because the bones were a horrifying sight but because there was a feeling of darkness that leached from the walls. He stilled every part of his body until he was calm. Then he carefully reached down to pull a bone from the mass. Looking over that bone he noted deep indentations along its surface. It was as if something had gnawed through skin until they hit the bone, then just kept going. He shuddered. Dropping that bone down he picked up another. This one glowed with an unnatural hue. It had also almost been completely severed. Whatever had ripped at this bone had been immensely powerful. This planet was free of any major Carnivorous life, so they had not been attacked by an animal. He was finding out facts that supported Conley's story.

Dropping the glowing bone down again, Hari pulled on one last bone, just to verify the information he was collecting. That bone was stuck and when he heaved it up, others began to move downward. Now he saw a mini whirlpool as bones disappeared into a hole. After a few minutes the whirlpool stopped again and all was still. Hari wondered where the bones had gone.

He shone his lighting device around the cavern and discovered a hole at the far side. Moving over to this hole, he observed it had a very rusted ladder, decending to the level below. This was forbidden territory, with only a very select amount of people given access. Ollia told them all it was because of the specialised machinery that resided in the lower levels of the tunnels. This machinery could be very dangerous to those who did not know what they were doing. Breaking this rule led to the transgressor being sent to the run. So Hari guessed most people would not climb down that ladder.

Hari knew he owed it to his people to do so. He was essentially a witness.

As he descended he noted the air was stale. His lungs started to labour and his breath came out as short pants. Too long down here could have a determental affect upon his health. So he better be quick. Climbing off the end of the ladder, Hari shone his light around.

His breath gasped out in an almost shriek at what lay before him. He could see the exit point of the massive hole above . Huge piles of bones lay jammed within that hole. Some of the smaller ones had fallen and lay upon the ground in front of him . But that was not what had prompted his reaction. Before him was another skeleton, only this one was defintely not a bipedal. The shape was all wrong for that, it was oval, with a surface that almost looked like metal. He had seen much smaller versions at his own homestead. This was the exoskeleton of large insect . It was almost completely intact, most likely preserved by the thin air in this part of the tunnels. Shining his torch further back he noted there were several other casings . He moved toward them.

His stomach heaved as he examined what was left of another bug. This ones outer shell was twisted into an unnatural position, upward and over into a peak. Another part of the casing had been totally burnt away leaving a gaping hole. This creature would have died a painful and tortured death. He did not know of any natural substance that would do this much damage.

Hari found himself falling to the ground. This was definitive proof of the fact, that there had been a war with large insects and a biological weapon had been used to decide the outcome. All of them believed that the Naloolab were just visitors to the station, that had never stepped upon this world. They just lived upon the station and willingly particpated in the run. That lie was now shattered beyond repair. Hari found tears collecting in his eyes again. How do you tell a whole planet they have been decieved. Hari grabbed at a piece of the shattered Naloolab that lay before him. This evidence had to be seen to be believed, he decided. Carrying the gruesome evidence Hari made his way back to the light.

Xxxxxxxxx

Major Donald West stared at the bottle of chilled water the robot handed to him. 'It is wise to keep hydrated Major", the machine told him. 'Hydrated, he almost laughed, why should he bother drinking when he was going to die. He still took the bottle though and held it like it was alive, lovingly. His mouth was so dry from all the passionate talking as well as anxiety.

He was now playing the waiting game, hoping desparately that Ollia would decide to give up.

"Major the drive will start to emit levels of radiation that will be determental to your own health within one hour", the robot told him. The machine had this wonderful abiltiy to sound totally unaffected by what was unfolding. Yet it still had its claw settled within his hand.

"Acknowledged", was all he could say to that.

Turning his attention back to Ollia, Don noted she was still silent, staring into nothingness. 'Are you thinking about another strategy to discredit me Ollia", he asked.

That comment made Ollia feel anger rise again, how dare he talk to her like that. "No Major I do not have to discredit you. You sit in a vessel that you claim is a bomb capable of wiping out all of my people. That fact speaks of how deranged you are. There are little babies on this world". She threw that comment at him hard, feeling a surge of confidence again. Striking him emotionally was possibly the only way to win this battle.

Her comment was like heavy fire, deeply wounding. Tears came into his eyes and his stomach heaved mucus all over the harsh metal at his feet.

What could he say to that truth. He was willing to kill babies. What a horrible person he had become. Without warning the robot flipped a switch on the panel, turning on the cameras inside the craft. Maybe he too, thought he was deranged.

"They can now see that you are deeply affected by this course of action", the robot stated. The robot was defending him, Don realised. It made him see the machine in a totally different way. He reflected upon his own response to anything upsetting, usually he would push it away, not showing how he felt. That was not a good thing he realised, especially in this situation. He had to show the people of this world he was different to Ollia and being honest about how he felt was the way to do that.

He spoke passionately and honestly. "As you can see I am not just sitting here feeling smug . Of course I do not want anyone to die. But tell me this Ollia, are those babies going to have the right to choose the path they take in life. I have only been on this world a short time, but all I have seen is choice taken away and replaced by fear. Your people follow you because they are afraid of dying" , Don stated. He pointed over at Caci and Lyric, 'those two would probably agree with me, yet they know you would just kill them someday for speaking out. What type of life is that. All I want is for you to step down from the leadership of this world"

Don was not sure this approach was going to work, Ollia did not care about choice. Others on the world did not know what it was either. How can you fight for something when you have no idea what it means. He felt isolation and regret surface again.

Ollia smiled, she could see that with he was upset and off balance. Finally she felt like she was winning this encounter, it was time to throw some more damaging barbs his way. Her peoples mistrust of the Major would be his downfall. "All you want is for me to step down ,yet you are threatening everyone with annihilation . Why did you not just make it personal, between the two of us Major", she challenged.

Her people would be asking the same question and thinking he was weak. She was the strong one, the leader .Studying his face she waited for the look of defeat. His expression, when it came disturbed her greatly , why was he smiling. "It could have been between the two of us at anytime Ollia. You knew this ship was a weapon and you did not volunteer to come with me off this world. If you really cared so passionately for you people you would have done that. Instead you have wasted time, trying to press me into leaving." So why don't you surrender Ollia and spare your people." Don had been waiting for this moment. Maybe her people would start wondering why she had not suggested leaving with him. All that would be at stake then was her own life. He still waited for her counterattack. She always had one, the next one was probably going to be vicious because he was fairly sure he had totally pissed her off.

He was not wrong .Ollia realised he had been carefully pushing her toward this moment. Once again she had underestimated Major Donald West. He was far better at tactics than she had ever imagined. She should have had him killed the moment he had been discovered upon the Jupiter. She had not because she had believed that because the others were protecting him, he was going to be easy to control. That impression intensified when she had seen his self doubt. But strangely his injuries to mind and body had somehow made him stronger.

Ollia could feel the redness spreading up her face as her anger grew to boiling point, "you bastard, trying to make it look like I am the one to blame", she yelled . She stretched to her tallest height and used her "I am to be obeyed 'stare for a few minutes. This was the look that would spread fear into many. Fear was always the way to control everyone. They would not dare think she was lying. "I raise my right hand and put it on my heart, I swear with every fibre of my being that I Ollia Firebrand have done nothing wrong. May I drop dead right now if I am a liar".

She would have been dead a million times over if that could happen. But of course it would not. Her people would believe her, she was confident of that. Nobody would dare to challenge her

She had never been wrong about that. But now she was, a familiar voice proclaimed steadily. "'I am waiting for you to drop dead mother, because you are a bloody liar." Hari was dripping with sweat as he raced to stand before them. He turned to his sisters and told them sadly, "Arina has been murdered". There is only one candidate for that heinous crime", he pointed at Ollia. "I think somehow Arina found out the truth as she left a final message written in her own blood, it said she lies".

Hari looked at his mothers face and felt ripples of fear. Her anger was turning into a fire that would only be put out when someone else died. He was most likely the next candidate. Pushing down his fear, he kept on the pressure. Whistling between his teeth, he summoned his mount.

She came into the clearing, dragging behind her the casings. "I have proof of her lies". Look what I found in the tunnels below mother's homestead, not only bones but these huge insect casings. If there have never been any Naloolab upon this world then how did they get there. Also if there never was any war, then why did they die from some sort of chemical attack". He had pushed the casings down and let everyone present and watching on their screens get a good view. In the light the burnt portions of the casing looked even worse. He felt sick again. With tears in his eyes, he told everyone "The evidence betrays you Ollia, you massacred thousands of people to keep this planet". Hari broke off, he had switched his address now, trying to distance himself from her . It made him want to vomit to think of the fact they were related. He would never call her mother again.

Ollia stared at the casings, well aware that everyone else on the world and most likely the aliens on the station could see the evidence of her lies in front of them.

What could she say now. For half a second she considered keeping up with her story. But she dismissed that, she was sick of this. Her anger had built to a fiery rage . She decided it was time to tell the truth and to remind everyone of what they had. "So bloody what", she stormed. "Yes, I killed a lot of people. But look what you got in return a beautiful world, filled with many things. It is a life many would envy. None of you have what it takes to keep this world running. We are in the middle of nowhere people and we could easily die. So all I did was ensure our people survived. That is not a crime. What has happened is over. I cannot undo the past. So lets put it behind us and move forward."

All around the world they saw her, a women of power and passion. The one that many had feared for as long as they could remember. What she had said was true, they did not starve, or have to live out in the wilderness , fighting to keep warm and dry. Despite fearing death in the run everyday, they did at least have a life. Many still could not believe the price they paid for that life was that high. Surely this was still part of the show.

Hari stared at her with his mouth open. He noted that Lyric and Caci had similar expressions. Caci was the first one to get over the shock, she had to be clear about what Ollia was saying, not just for herself but for the people.

"So the Naloolab story is true", Caci clarified. "The run, is just a cover for killing them and anyone else who dares to disagree with you. ""Yes, the story is true. The run is an organised massacre", Ollia put her hand across herself again and stated, "yes I did lie". But who cares, I certainly don't and you should not either. We cannot bring those who have died back to life. So lets just forget about it. This upstart Major is not even from our world , he is an alien. He sits there trying to tell us what to do. But he does not have that right. You do ,my people. It is time to raise your voices and unite, defy this Major, tell him you put your faith in me. Ultimately he does not want to kill you all. He won't if you are all aligned with me. It is time to end things and I promise a better life for all of you. Stand with me now", she said the last sentence with a deep passion. If everyone united with her ,then Major West would lose.

Don swallowed hard, he recognised that perhaps Ollia's people could just decide to sweep the history of their world under a very large mat. They could all ask him to leave. Admittedly he would adhere to that request. There was no point in fighting a war nobody cared about but him. He felt free tears flow as thought that this may be how the war finally ended.

He was not sure he could rely on Caci or Lyric to stand up to their mother. There was a moments silence. It was like the whole world was gasping as they finally came to terms with what was unfolding around them. This was not just a show, it was all real . Most of them were probably in shock. A few were no doubt still in denial. So what was going to happen.

The answer when it came was certain. "No", Lyric said the world firmly. "We cannot just pretend that we stole this world then almost wiped out the entire species of aliens that called this place their home. Committing that crime was bad enough but denying it, what would that make us?

That question was said as tears rolled from Lyrics eyes. She had lost her fear of her mother now. All that remained was her horror. How could she kill so many people, then deny it. It was horrific.

"Denying it will make us stronger", Ollia told her firmly.

Caci felt sick about that response to her sisters question. She too just felt numb now. For the first time she dared to speak her mind firmly and with passion. "So speaks a woman who was condemned to die for crimes against her own people. Then you come here and do the same. It is not just the Naloolab who have suffered. I have lost a sister today and many others have lost their family in your sick game. Well we are not doing it anymore Ollia. I am now adding my voice to that of Major West. It is time for you to step down", Caci pressed.

"I agree", Lyric supported her sister. Ollia just pivoted around and held her weapon out pointed directly at her two daughters. "Two more on the death list is not going to make a lot of difference", she yelled. Ollia had spittle rolling from her lips now. Her mind had a red hot rage burning within it. She had not felt rage this intense for many years. It made her want to run home , and open the safe where she kept the last supplies of her gas. Then she would show this entire world what it felt like to feel uncontrollable hate fill their minds and bodies.

"Get out of my way children" , I will deal with this my own way now", she screamed.

Lyric and Caci took one look at her face and stepped out of her way. Ollia kept her eyes upon them as she passed by. Such was her concentration that she had forgotten about her other child. Hari had moved up beside Lyric and in one quick smooth movement taken the gun from her hand. 'Then he fired, but not Ollia's heart or head, just at her knee.

Sudden white hot pain consumed Ollia and she collapsed to the ground. Hari sat on her back, pushing her down hard into the grass. "Say the words we want to hear", he demanded.

Ollia could feel the blood spilling from her body. She was not dying, not yet. Hari was not the type to have gone for a kill shot. She guessed that now she was down, Lyric or Caci just might be bold enough to finish her off. So she made a strategic move, "all right I surrender".

Lyric went over to Hari's mount and found some thick ropes in the saddle bags. She used them to tie Ollia's hands securely.

"All right Major West, we have Ollia under our supervision". You can remove all listening devices from the atmosphere and leave now", she told him.

Don fired up the engines, "very well, he stated. "I will trust, you and your people to deal with Ollia. They will receive a call from the Station about negotiations".

As they watched Don lifted the ship off the ground and within seconds it disappeared from sight.

Hari removed his knee from his mothers back. "Now thats the way to make him leave", he said. Ignoring the pain in her leg Ollia turned over to look up at him. She could not interpret the look in his eye. Hari looked over at his sisters who were talking with the masked ones. They were not in listening range. "We will be invited to the station to negotiate, I am sure we can think up another way to eliminate the Naloolab at that time. The station is a valuable asset and it cannot remain in their hands. "You are not the only one who can pretend Ollia", Hari remarked with a smile. Unfortunately you will not be around to see us benefit from the total control of all our assets. We will blame the final demise of the Naloolab squarely upon your shoulders. Then we will have a very public execution". After that I will be the one who leads us to a glorious future".

Ollia stared, so that was it, all that he had done up to now was to secure himself as the leader. The first stage of that plan had to be to discredit her. Hari it seemed, did take after her. She was both profoundly shocked and terribly proud. He would make a wonderful leader.

"My sisters are returning now, so its time to begin the last phase, stay down Ollia and watch a true master of lies and deceit. I will even better at it than you," Hari announced. Ollia lay flat on the ground looking up at the weapon her son held upon her as Lyric and Caci approached.

Underneath her bleeding leg she could feel the hard metal of her own fallen weapon. She tried hard not to smile, surely she could still gain the upper hand.

Caci and Lyric were relaxed and smiling as they approached, 'the masked ones were very happy to relinquish their positions ". They now stand ready to help us with your punishment", Lyric remarked. As Ollia and Hari watched the group of 100 women joined them, none of them were wearing masks. "Ollia Firebrand I find you guilty of the crime of mass murder, the sentence is death by firing squad. Stand up, we will carry out your sentence now ", Lyric commanded. The women drew out their weapons. In one swift movement the disarmed the stunned Hari and then pulled the gun from under Ollia. Her grunt of pain was not only because of her injured leg.

"What", Hari spluttered, "I thought we would have a trial first. Lyric looked at him coldly and Hari awaited his sisters response. The answer when it came was not in her voice, "the whole planet just heard every word you said Hari", stated Donald West. "I did not remove the listening devices or leave orbit, because frankly I do not trust any of you. I think I just proved my point.""

"Yes, you did Major West. Thus I think it is time to carry out our sentence."While I was over there negotiating with these lovely ladies I was also conducting a rapid pole on your fate. The results were unanimous 'the people want you to be permanently removed from leadership now", Lyric announced.

Hari snorted, "come on you are throwing away an opportunity Lyric and Caci', he remarked. "We need the station".

Caci just gave him a glare, "we will negiotiate Hari because it is the right thing to do. Not long ago my father could have killed both of us, as could the Naloolab. They did not because we too are part Naloolab. We are not the only ones either. A lot of people on this world have Naloolab parents. So we are essentially dealing with our own people. I trust them to be fair, more than I could ever trust either of you".

"Hari your fate will be permanent incarceration ,way up in the mountains somewhere", Lyric told him.

"Now stand up Ollia and face your death on your feet", came her order.

Ollia at that moment felt the full force of her defeat hit her hard.

xxxxxxx

"He did it, Conley remarked in a voice that was still stunned. "Major West, just ensured our future". He turned and embraced his own wife. Jalloo rested her head gently upon Conley. She had not believed they would ever have the opportunity to walk upon solid ground again. Tears rolled from her eyes to drop onto the ground.

Although John was happy for both of them, he could not help thinking of their own future. He was not sure any of them actually wanted to stay upon the planet.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18- where is home?

Ollia thought she would at least get a few hours to plot her escape before they carried out her sentence. A lot of different plans were going through her head, each more convoluted than the next. She was sure one of them would work. When a group of the former masked ones approached she was ready to talk her way out of captivity. Before she could even begin a piece of rolled up material was shoved over her mouth and tied in place. All she could make was grunts. "You no longer have anything to say to us", one of the women told her defiantly. "Since you are so brave we will not offer you a blindfold", another told her harshly.

So she was expected to look death in the eyes. Now she had no control over what happened next and that was unsettling. She had never admitted to fear before, but now it coursed through her. Ollia did not want to die. It was her death sentence, years ago that had prompted her to overthrow the crew of the ship .All these years she had been running from death and now it had finally caught her.

Hari was tied hand and foot and turned to face Ollia. The message was clear, if he became too much like her, then death would also be his fate. He shivered. Most likely he would face a lifetime as a prisoner. But he was used to that, so he did not protest.

Lyric and Caci approached, "it is time", was all they said. They stared her in the eyes for a a while. She grunted at them, hoping she would be given the opportunity to say a few last words. Caci and Lyric ignored her.

She had never felt so alone. A coldness began to settle upon her as she realised there was no escape. If they expected her to cry, she would not give them that pleasure. Defiantly she raised her chin and stared back at the firing squad, eyeballing each woman slowly, as if imprinting their faces onto her mind.

"Guards, firing positons", Lyric ordered. The women dutifully complied, lining up in front of her

Caci slipped her hand inside Lyrics and grasped it tightly. She was very conscious of the fact that she could also be tainted by dark thoughts like her mother. There would be a lot to sort out once Ollia was gone and none of it was going to be easy. The future they faced was unclear and very scary. However she no longer would have to live with the fear of being sent to compete in the run. That show would also end today and that was a good thing.

"Firing squad ready", Lyric ordered.

The women aimed their weapons at Ollia.

She stared back at them, her own face mocking. Even without speaking she was sending a message that she thought they were not worthy. Lyric and Caci could feel the gaze burning through them. Part of them wanted to go to her and to cut the bonds that held her.

Lyric thought a cold reminder might be good for both of them, "Remember what she has done. Even if we let her free now, because we were sure that finally she is sorry, we would simply go back to living in the same manner. Oliia has a sickness Caci', Lyric acknowledged, "and we can only cure the world by permanently removing the source of the infection,"

Feeling her resolve settle again Caci shouted out "aim".

Ollia felt something in the corner of her eye, wet and cold. It was an unfamiliar thing and she wondered at first what it was that blurred her vision. Then in a wave of self loathing she realised she was crying. She looked down at the ground. Nobody would ever have the satisfaction of seeing her in this state. Any minute now the final command was going to come. Ollia could do nothing but await that word.

Lyric knew the entire world would be watching this moment . Everyone would feel something different. She took a breath vowing that Ollia's death would be the last act of violence upon this world.

"Fire", she ordered the troops.

Ollia heard the loud noise the guns made as they went off. Then she felt a brief intense fire as bullets plowed into her body.

Seconds later her body lay upon the ground with her lifeless eyes staring upward at the sky.

xxxxxxxx

The space station

Judy waited in the corridor for Don to dock the spaceship. She had wanted to be the first one to greet him on his return. As the minutes ticked by she began to feel impatient, what was taking him so long. Surely he was not anxious about seeing her. He had just faced down one of the nastiest people they had ever met, any other conversation should now be a cakewalk.

Finally the door opened and he came down the corridor. His feet dragged, as if they were weighed down by something heavy and the dark circles under his eyes spoke of emotional trauma as well as fatigue. He was still the best looking thing she had seen.

She ran to him and encircled him in her arms. His own arms came up to wrap around her and hold on tight. There had been many moments when he had thought he would never see her again.

For a moment Don just held her. He could feel some tension within her body, indicating she was upset. He had learnt a lot about Judy's moods over the years. If he said nothing that tension would quickly lead to anger. Then he would not be able to talk to her at all. So he needed to make sure she understood he did not intend to hurt her . "Judy, I owe you an apology. I should not have told you what I intended to do. It was unfair to let you find out at the same time as a whole world. I just could not risk Ollia finding out my plan." It was never my intention to run out on you. Thinking of you was the only thing that sustained me during the battle with Ollia. It was also the hardest thing as losing you would have been more than I could bare" , his voice began to stumble and stutter then as emotion took hold.

Judy could feel his uncertainty and knew that what she said next was going to define their whole relationship. Her grip tightened upon him and she pulled him close and just kissed him hard for a few minutes. "I love you", she told him, "that fact will never change". She rubbed his arms softly ,what you did was incredible." You have given hope back to a race that had none. That is no small deed".

Don sighed heavily and hugged her close. He wanted to feel her heart beat and let her warmth touch his own cold body. As yet he did not feel victorious. Everything came with a cost and Judy had not realised what that was yet. He did though. "Is it a victory Judy. I am not sure. Too many threats have already been made. I just added to that list. Many now fear me instead of Ollia. I am not sure we would ever be welcomed upon the planet now. The people have had enough of fear. So perhaps all I have done is saved one peoples home, while making it unlivable for those I care about."

Don sat down heavily on the floor. Judy felt sudden cold fill her as she sunk down to sit beside him. All she had thought about was the love she felt for him, and not beyond that to actually living together . Now she had to face the fact that despite everything they were still homeless. The promise of a new life upon a new world had been one she'd held onto with grim determination ,despite failure after failure.

Don was searching her face hard, looking for a sign and she had to make the effort to make a smile. "We will go on as before Don, being together and searching for a new home. That is not such a terrible future", she told him with a confident clear tone.

He smiled at that and clutched her hand in his own. At least he had not realised that she was lying. Having a home did matter. But she would not blame him for what lay in front of them. Hearing footsteps she looked up to see Conley approaching. He looked rather tentative, like he too did not know what to feel now the threat of Ollia was gone.

Conley crouched down beside them. He had heard every word that had been spoken. Reaching out he clasped Don's shoulder firmly. "I know how you feel Major", he remarked softly."Too much blood has been spilled. The Naloolab are responsible for permanently dividing families as we hunted down ,killed and feasted upon many people. I know we did it under the influence of chemicals, but that does not change the sorrow we have caused. How do we come back from that. Even though the planet is now free from Ollia, I fear that it can still never be our world".

Judy could feel the heaviness of sorrow in the air now. Nobody felt like celebrating. She wondered if the whole planet felt the same. It occurred to her that hopelessness had been a permanent state on Cerra . 'If they went forward feeling like this then possibly nothing would change. Perhaps someone as cruel as Ollia would take over, believing that because the people had no will of their own they had to provide direction. It was time for a change she realised. When she spoke it was with a passion that surprised her. You cannot just give up now". "There are choices and now you are free to make them.

Conley nodded, "that is true Judy. But I fear my own choices as I am still feeling the influences of what Ollia did to me".

Don looked up at Judy then over at Conley. Then he smiled slightly, "here we all are together, people of different species, but with common goals. None of us are alone in making the choices for the future".

"Yes that is so Major". I have been surrounded for so long by those who would betray that I have forgotten what it is like to have friends. Forgive me being so morbid, when we now have a better future. " He held out his hand to Don, "I thank you for what you did."

Don took his hand , intending on shaking it. Conley pulled him forward and actually gave him a hug. He did not pull away. "It is not just me you need to thank Conley", he acknowledged once Conley had let him go, "I was not alone on the craft. The robot was with me the entire time to help with the technical issues".

The machine rolled along the corridor at that moment, it was singing . "So the robot was the one who disabled the overload. I did not think you had the technical expertise ,to carry out your plan Major, but now I understand"."Thank you for your assistance robot", Conley said to the machine. The robot bobbed its head up and down for a moment before rolling over to where Don sat.

It reached out a claw, "let me assist you Major", it remarked. Don reached out and took the claw in his hand, as the machine pulled him upward, he moved closer and actually wrapped his arms around its entire body. Then for the first time he gave the machine a hug. It felt like the right thing to do, considering the support he had been given had been emotional as well as practical. "Thank you robot, I could not have done it without you", he said.

The robot registered surprise in its memory circuits, this was an unusual action on the part of Major Donald West. He undertook a quick passive scan to ensure that no behaviour altering foreign elements had been introduced into the Majors body . All the scans told him was that while the Major was exhausted and still in some pain, everything else was within normal parameters .

He recognised that the Majors behaviour had changed since his accident and welcomed the change. There was a warm feeling inside the robot as he reached his arms around and returned the Majors hug .

Finally Don pulled away with a sigh, it was time to focus upon other things. "Let's go and join the others", he said

Arm in arm with Conley and Judy Don walked back to the Naloolabs section of the station.

The first person to greet him was the one who he had always thought would be the least happy about seeing him return, Doctor Smith. He smiled at him and stated, "so Don perhaps I should have considered you as a chess partner after all. Your tactics managed to defeat the Queen of the planet".

It was still unnerving to hear Doctor Smith use his first name. Don did not return the favour and call him Zac, somehow that was not appropriate. He also did not answer with sarcasm. That was a usual response when he replied to anything Smith said to him. Today, he was being unusual and surprisingly he actually liked chatting to Smith. "Well , I think the game I was playing was closer to poker than chess. I just left out the chess board because I could not find the playing cards", Don told him.

"Ah , well you had a winning hand. Ollia was not the only one who was surprised", Smith remarked. He had admired the Majors courage in making such a bold move and threatening to destroy a whole world. It was an extreme tactic that he did not think the Major had been capable of making. Now he had to reevaluate that thought along with many other assumptions he had made about their pilot. At any time over the years Donald West could have used similar tactics upon him .That thought made him shiver. He had often verbally baited the Major ,saying things that had been cruel and unfair . If he thought about what he felt about those encounters, he had to admit he enjoyed the suffering he had caused their pilot. What had actually stopped the Major from shooting him one night.

He felt disgusted with himself and vowed to at least think about his response before he opened his mouth.

Doctor Smith stepped back to give Penny a moment with Don . She looked him over, noting how tired he seemed. "All the Naloolab are talking about you Don, she told him, "they see you as a hero". She felt her face warm for a minute, Falloon had asked her if their species believed in having more than one mate. It had been obvious that particular Naloolab had very strong feelings for the Major. She had let her down gently.

Don was frowning at her ,wondering why she was blushing, she hurriedly told him, "I am glad you are back with us, big brother."

"We are all glad, Maureen confirmed moving over to stand in front of him . After giving him a quick hug she looked him over seriously taking note of his too pale complexion "how do you feel Don", she asked.

"Like I could sleep for a week", Don told her honestly. "We will make sure you do get to rest", Maureen told him. Her face was stern for a minute then softened, "you will need to be completely recovered in time for your wedding".

"Wedding", Don had been caught off guard by that comment. "Judy and I are already married", he added quickly. 'Yes but you seemed to have forgotten to invite the rest of us Donald West and that will not do". So you will be correcting that mistake", Maureen stated firmly.

Don had known that Maureen would be annoyed once she found out he had secretly married Judy. He guessed it was wise to put things right with her. "Yes ma'am", he replied.

Now that Maureen had her say, she let John speak to Don.

"You should have let us help Don", John chided firmly. "I know", was all Don could say. John accepted that. "Just don't do that type of thing again", he said firmly.

Don really wanted to make that promise to his new father in law. But perhaps that would not be honest. So he had to say, "I will try hard not to be so dramatic, next time".

John shook his head for a moment, then smiled. At least his new son in law was not going to lie. He really could not expect Don to do nothing if they encountered others like Ollia in the future. Holding out his hand to Don, John received a warm and hearty hand shake.

Don felt the love of the people around him fill him. Yet that love was not complete ,Will had not greeted him . He could see the boy standing over away from the family. His head was down and his body tense. It was evident something was wrong. "Will are you alright", Don called out softly. The boy raised his head then, revealing a face streaked with tears. "No', Will admitted, "I am not alright". Nobody has asked you this Don, and it is important, so I will just blurt it out". How could you threaten to kill an entire planet filled with people. There were children, just like me, upon that planet", Will's shoulders heaved and fresh tears fell.

"Will you are being unfair", John chided his son as he saw Don's pallor whiten further. "Why is it unfair dad, I am just asking him a question". I know he just defeated a horrible person, but that does not excuse the method he used to achieve that aim', Will yelled.

Don went to Will and knelt before him. He had tears in his eyes as he admitted, "you are right Will, what I did was shocking and ruthless. But it had to be, those actions were the only ones Ollia could understand . So I used them against her. Being like that made me feel totally horrible, my whole body was screaming at me in pain."

Will could hear that pain in Don's voice but was still not ready to let the matter slide. He turned his head toward the robot. "You are to blame as well. Your program demands that life is preserved. Yet you went against that directive and helped Don plan to wipe out an entire planet". How could you do that", Will accused. He was disappointed in both of them and surprised nobody in the family was going to challenge Don about the methods he used. It seemed everyone else thought everything was alright because Don had succeeded. He could not shut off the images in his head of people dying horribly. If he did not challenge Don then those images would remain and haunt him.

"I did not go against my programming Will Robinson", the robot stated firmly. "When I noticed the drive was overloading I took immediate measures to ensure that no life forms were affected".

Will frowned at that, what was the robot saying. He noticed that people around him looked rather shocked. Then it hit him hard and he gasped out, "you were bluffing", at Don.

"Yes, there was no danger to the people Will. I figured that since everyone was so used to believing they were watching a show I would put on my own act. All those soap operas back on Earth gave me ideas for thinking up a suitably dire plot. I turned the cameras on the ship on so everyone would see that act and assume it was real. The robot helped me by creating the illusion of an overloading drive. Thankfully Ollia or her people never realised I was lying. Will I could not kill an entire planet because the effects off that horrific act would stain the people I cared about the most". Even carrying out a pretence has had an effect. It will be a while before I feel totally normal again", Don told Will honestly.

The boy raised his head then looking Don in the eye and seeing the truth for himself. Running forward he wrapped his arms firmly around his new big brother and held him tightly. "I am sorry I doubted you Don. You are incredible", Will said firmly.

"I agree", Conley stated, " you played an amazing game Major. I was one hundred percent certain you were going to carry out your threats", Conley remarked. "You need not worry about the reactions of the people upon the planet I will make sure they know you were bluffing."

"Thank you for that, Don acknowledged. "I am glad it is over".

Conley sighed heavily, "well that part is over. There is still more to come. We now have to decide what course of action comes next. We cannot expect a whole planet of people to leave ,because the reality is that this had become their world. Ollia is gone and that was all Jalloo and I really wanted. We have a few choices, "we can ask you to fly us back to our homeworld. Hopefully the world has suffered from no disasters of natural or manmade types since we have been gone. Number two, we can leave the station and the planet and go and try and find yet another world away from everyone. Number three I suppose we could still live here on the station and become trade ambassadors . This station does help the planet survive by supplying goods and services".

John, thought that all three choices had benefits and risks to the Naloolab. Even though Conley was saying the word 'we', it did not mean they were locked into making the same choices. Though of course there was a problem because Don was the only pilot they had, and the Naloolab craft the only ship.

He could think of another major issue and thought he better bring it up right away. "What about the people on the planet who were abducted from visiting ships. We will have to give them the opportunity to go home as well. That means potentially we could be very busy providing a shuttle service for a whole lot of people. It could even take years to get all of them back to their homeworlds". He knew that was not the best piece news, but it was the unfortunate reality of the situation they were facing.

"We do have to be fair to everyone, Conley agreed," 'though many captives have been treated a lot more reasonably and compassionately than I was. Not all of them lost loved ones. Many would be facing returning to a world that had forgotten them. " I think that may be true of our homeworld as well. Realistically I have to ask myself what they think if we decide to return after so long. Certainly Jalloo would not longer be considered as a leader." He sighed, "there are no easy choices".

"No you are right. I think we need to rest, eat and drink before we forge ahead with any plans", John told him. Taking Maureen hand in his own he led the way to the sleeping quarters.

xxxxxxx

The next day

Arm in arm Penny and Will walked through the corridors of the space station with the robot at their side. All the adults were busy conducting talks with Caci and Lyric and they had been left to entertain themselves. Their parents were still not totally at ease about them just wandering about so had sent the robot as an escort.

Penny had gently refused offers from her new insect friends to play because she wanted time alone with Will. At the moment all was quiet between them, they were both thinking of the future and what it meant for them. They knew their parents were reluctant to return to a life searching for another planet. There are been too many near fatal incidences , so it was time to settle upon a world.

Conley had said they could find a home upon the Naloolab's home planet if they decided upon the option of returning there. There was still the risk of the journey ,which was a long and difficult one. They could also be returning to a possibly hostile situation.

Penny sighed heavily. "Maybe we should not have left Earth', she said sadly. Previously Will would have disagreed with her. His thirst for adventure had overridden everything . Now that thirst had died and he could feel a knot of fear in his being that would never completely fade. Memories of being ripped from his parents would awaken him screaming for long time to come. All he wanted now was to feel safe.

"This planet is rather similar to Earth, "the robot told them reflectively . "There a many land masses and not all of them are occupied". "See", he projected a picture of the whole planet.

Penny and Will stared, there was a central land mass, which was where the majority of people on the planet lived. Will scanned the planet noting regions were it would not be possible to live, because of the rugged inhospitable landscape. His keen eyes picked out something , "what is that", he tapped a small blemish that almost looked like someone had dropped a blob of paint upon the image.

The robot checked his data, "I believe it is an island. It is not currently inhabited. Possibly it is considered to be too small for the general population".

Penny found her heart beat speeding up and a smile broke out upon her face. "You are right ,this planet is like Earth and perhaps that is the solution. "

Pulling the robot and Will along with her she ran to the conference area.

Everyone was sitting around the table looking rather glum. It was obvious no solution had been reached. "This planet can be like Earth, Penny told them. "There is more than one land mass, so it is possible everyone can share this world".

John looked over at his daughter and smiled, "we have just been given option four", he announced. Of course he had thought of this idea himself. But he had wanted others to realise they should not just keep running away from the idea of living with other people .Many people on the planet had some Naloolab DNA within them, so essentially this planet was yet another colony.

Of course there would always be a risk present. Hari was possibly not the only person who would try and gain control for himself. But no matter which choice they took, there would always be a risk.

Cera was a beautiful planet and they while their experiences had not been positive ones so far it did not mean they could not make their own future .

Conley smiled, he thought this solution was perfect. He grabbed John's hand, "we will stay", he said. "How about you and your family."

John smiled as well, he did not have to ask what the others thought because he could see the answer in their expressions. "Yes", he told Conley, 'we will stay".


	19. Chapter 19- welcome home

Chapter 19 - Welcome home...

She could feel tremors assailing her body. This was the moment she had been thinking about for many years. In front of her stretched a field of green, as long grass gently waved in the breeze. Her husband held out his hand and Jalloo firmly took it within her own. He was shaking as well she noted. This planet had such unpleasant memories for both of them. Yet they had chosen to make it their home. Was this a wise decision, maybe she should stop asking that, and instead forge ahead with positivity. This planet was their home once more .

Sure they were sharing the world now. But that was not a lot different to times long ago when the different types of Naloolab lived apart. There were disagreements and disputes. Those were just part of life.

Everyone had one thing in common ,a willingness to move away from their violent past .Common goals often helped unite a people she reflected.

Conley was pulling her forward and she followed, slowly ,with an uncertainty she had not expected deep within her. She was about to touch real earth for the first time in 25 years. The station had simulated the look and feel of being outdoors and she had always felt that it was heartbreakingly alike the real thing. Every day living in that environment had been a torturous reminder of what they had lost.

But as she stepped a foot down into the grass she realised the simulation had not even come close. How do you simulate the touch of something, she wondered as a featherlike sensation brushed her leg. Moving beyond the touch of the little feather grass was a toucher spindly one that pickled her legs and almost made her gurgle with laughter. She breathed in the fresh air and felt her body fill with life.

Her senses rapidly became overwhelmed by everything around her. Conley was smiling at her and she pulled him close into an embrace. He did not tense as much as he had previously. Perhaps tonight he would allow more than just a caress. She understood what he had been through and knew it would take time, she would follow his lead.

With a shrilling click of joy Jalloo, flipped herself downward and rolled in the grass. Her legs made little circles in the air as she wiggled her body about, letting the grass brush over her exoskeleton.

Conley watched her for a second then with a loud whoop of joy he flung himself into the grass beside her. He reached out and pulled her to him, looking into her face ,drinking in every detail. He remembered the time they had first met, when he had been so afraid of her. She was still as beautiful as that day and he felt the desire he had once thought had been permanently destroyed rise again. This was love , something Ollia had never understood. He put aside that memory, because it only brought coldness. He never wanted to go back to that feeling. So he kissed Jalloo passionately for several long moments. "I love you Jalloo, with all my being and will continue to love you until the end of our days", he repeated the vow he had given her on the day they were bonded. "I love you Conley and will embrace that love until the stars dim and fade from my gaze",Jalloo told him. They held each other staring up at the blue sky.

Don and Judy watched from inside the ship. Judy felt tears fall again, as she shared the emotion of the moment. Embracing the moment of warmth within her she moved over from the co pilots seat to sit upon Don's knee and kissed him passionately. He returned the kiss with equal passion and they lost themselves in this time of loving one another.

"We shall leave them here to enjoy this place and go and check out this island", Don told Judy as he surfaced from the kiss.

The continent they were on, was separated from the rest of the land by a huge impassible mountain range. It meant that the only access to the new home of the Naloolab would be by ship. Thus living here would not be a lot different to the station. Of course this time they would have contact with the rest of the world and be conducting talks with the new leaders. Caci and Lyric had conceded to John's suggestion of holding an election to decide upon the new leader of the world. This was not something the world was familiar with, so John was helping them with the processes involved.

Don lifted the ship off the ground again, tapping the red lights that flashed at him until they flicked themselves off. Judy gave him a worried look. "This ship is old Judy, so it does have a few issues. To be honest I doubt if it could have made the journey back to the Naloolab homeworld without suffering from engine failure." I will do what I can to keep it functioning but eventually it will just wear out. The robot is going to look at whats left of the craft at the station and see if he can make repairs to the Jupiter. Having another ship is going to be of vital importance to making sure everyone is settled and receiving supplies".

"That means you are going to be busy training people to fly", Judy sighed. "I was hoping we were going to get more time for just the two of us".

"We will eventually Judy", Don assured her. He broke off and stared at the land now passing beneath them. "Oh my it is beautiful ", Judy exclaimed as she looked down and saw a waterfall cascading down the side of valley. The Island was just a few miles across, so they would be able to walk from one side to the other.

"I think it would make a spectacular home", Don whispered softly as he took in the splendour in front of them. "To have our own place to shape. It was what we wanted when he set out for Alpha Centauri", he reminded Judy.

"Yes", she agreed. She took a breath. "We were going to be the first ones upon that world . Here we are sharing with many different people and their history is checkered by war and mistrust".

"So is ours Judy", Don reminded her. "I know its not going to be easy to trust at first. All of us are starting at that place. So we just have to move forward and work with what we know. If things look too difficult then we do have the option of leaving", he told her.

Do we", Judy countered. "You are the only pilot Don. I do not think they would let you go that easily".

She was worried that someone might just come and take Don away from her again. This was still a planet where the women outnumbered the men.

"Conley assured me that we could leave Judy. I believe he would stand up for that right. However I will make training new pilots a priority to take the burden off myself," Don told her. He hovered over their new home for awhile drinking in every feature. The had a lot of work to do before they could finally settle and begin their new lives.

"See that little valley there, it would be a good location for the wedding", he told Judy. She agreed. While Don had been sleeping her mother and father had given her 'the talk'. "Judy we are disappointed that you went against our wishes and married Don". We understand why you did it, that is not the issue. It is just about being dishonest. If you both had come to us and discussed what was on your minds then we could have made some compromises."Things would not have ended up so, complicated". Her mother had taken a breath, 'I think you know that", she acknowledged.

"Yes, I do and I am sorry, Judy stated passionately. I don't think either of us were thinking clearly at the time".

Her father gave her a hug. "Well now just like the situation on the planet we will look to the future. You and Don will be wanting a place for yourselves. Conley said he was going to organise the building of your new home. He asked if you wanted a castle. Though I think he was not entirely serious", John remarked.

"Give some thought to where you would like to live. Naturally it would be better if it is not too far away", John concluded. Judy stayed in his arms for along time, feeling his warmth. Then she pulled away and returned to her husbands warm arms.

Returning her thoughts to the future, Judy felt the familiar bump of the ship touching down. Conley had Jalloo were sitting together on the grass waiting for them.

"Are you happy with living upon that Island", Conley asked. "There are other places if that one is not suitable".

It is beautiful", Judy told Conley, "and more than suitable. I think it is a place our children will enjoy ."

Conley smiled widely at that. "Jalloo and I are talking of having more offspring ", he said. Repopulating is going to be a priority as well. We unfortunately still have the same issue of the world having not enough males". It may be that we allow men to have more than one partner'

Judy noticed Conley said that in a tone indicating he was trying to convince Don to give it serious consideration."That is not our way", she said firmly. "We know that Judy. Of course there is free will, so it will not be compulsory ", Conley assured her. Conley did not tell her he was asking on behalf of Falloon.

"I really like Major West, his daughter had told him. "Could you just hint a little please". He could not bring himself to say no to her even though he had guessed the outcome. Falloon would in time ,find another mate.

"That is reassuring ", Judy stated cautiously .She had wondered why Conley was asking. Penny had said something about one of the insects liking Don. She had to admit she found that disturbing. She would never say that to the Naloolab though.

Jalloo chittered at her for a few minutes. Conley flushed somewhat. "Jalloo is telling you that she would not willingly share me either Judy". Our species is not so different in our beliefs. It is just that sometimes you do have to make compromises".

He let that matter drop at that point. It was probably wise Don thought because he did not know how a giant insect dealt with arguments.

They walked side by side toward the ship, showing the world the solidarity can come ,even when you have very different species. "Back to more talks", Conley stated seriously. "Even though we are all vowing to look forward to the future we still have to talk about the unpleasant parts of the past. We need to ensure all the Naloolab who died in the war are given a proper resting place." He still felt a coldness within when he thought of that day. He had seen many of them die before he succumbed to the gas himself. It was an image that would remain with him for an eternity. He would hold it there out of respect for his people . Their deaths had to mean something and he was hoping that a peaceful coexistence with their former enemies would be a significant and meaningful tribute to those who had been lost.

He cast a side long look at Donald West and Judy Robinson. They came from a species he was unfamiliar with, humans. He would learn more about them as they too would have to trade to survive. Conley wondered what the future would hold for the Robinsons. There were no other humans here, so Will and Penny Robinson would have to chose a mate from amongst those on the planet. It was possible they could even choose one of the insect form Naloolab.

Thinking about blending his species with other aliens reminded him that he had other children on the planet. He would make the effort to meet with them and get to know them. They were part Naloolab after all, even though they had never known his history. His people had a strong sense of family, evidenced by his own determination to return to the station. He had to approach them with that sense of family and not in the terms of 'them' and us. Now there was only 'we'.

If he started thinking like that then he had to include Caci and Lyric as well. He had the strongest 'history' with them, often seeing them as extensions of their mother. Yet that was rather harsh, as they did not know any other way. So perhaps he needed to be a teacher first, to show them what it was like to love, then see what happened.

Taking the first steps towards that goal he told Jalloo, "lets introduce Falloon and Madera to their sisters". He naturally included Jalloos other insect form child who had a different father. Jalloo had told him that she had mated with Lesma in a gas induced rage. Lesma had died not long after that, killed by one aliens participating in the run.

His family was far larger than he had ever imagined , just like his people. This was now the way of the future.

xxxxx

Lyric and Caci still felt apprehensive about their future. They had no idea how to run a world. After talks with John Robinson they had agreed to hold what was called an election. It was a way for the people to have their say about who their new leader would be. Neither of them were sure whether they would put their names forward. Uniting a world of different people who shared a horrific history just seemed almost impossible. But the shadow of the war and its high price would hang over them and hopefully prevent them from following that path again.

As she sat down at a dinner table with the Robinsons, their friends, Jalloo, Conley and other Naloolab ,Lyric cast one long final look at Donald West. She was going to offer all them the opportunity to chose other mates. The response from Donald West would be no, of that she was one hundred percent certain. That was also true of John Robinson.

So out of the occupants of the Jupiter 2 ,only Doctor Zachary Smith, was a candidate for their breeding program. "Doctor Smith, Lyric greeted, "you can have your former home and all the benefits if you agree to return to help us repopulate the planet. Instead of having the choice of mates made for you , you will be able to select your own. We would make your life as stress free as possible and you could visit you friends or leave at any time".

What a tempting offer John thought. He could imagine Zachary Smith sitting comfortably in a chair enjoying the attention of many wives. He was the type that forgot past traumas quickly if he had enough incentive.

John found to his surprise that he would be sad to see the Doctor go. He had been a nuisance on more than one occasion but he had also provided Will with a lot of support, boosting his confidence in expressing himself and in using his intellect to create some amazing things.

He expected to hear, "of course" out of Smiths mouth at any second. So he felt profoundly shocked when Doctor Smith said, "no". Looking at Maureen, Penny's and even Wills face, he could see that they too were equally surprised by the Doctors choice. Yet strangely Don did not look shocked.

"I would prefer to have a small home upon the island and if I am not intruding be close to you and the children John", Smith added. Maureen smiled warmly, "of course Doctor Smith, we would welcome you as a neighbour."

Will beamed at him, "we can see each other a lot", he stated firmly. He also planned to find other children and play with them. He wondered what it would be like to play with a young Naloolab. With all those legs they should be good at ball games.

He planned to ask his father to help him build a boat so he could sail from the Island to the mainland. The Island, he did not think that was a good enough name for their new home and started to think up ones in his head. "Rainbowtopia", Penny stated loudly obviously thinking the same thing. He glared at her, "no way are we going to call it that", he stated. "Rainbow view", Penny cheekily suggested. "No, thats too girly", he insisted. "Girly, it is just descriptive Will", Penny told him.

"Yeah well it sounds girly", Will countered.

John and Maureen laughed out loud, feeling for the first time that things were slowly returning to normal. "What are we going to call our new home", she wondered out loud. "Mancave", Don teased.

Maureen gave him a glare. "Absolutely not young man", she insisted.

Don shrugged. He was feeling a lot better and looking forward to finally settling down with Judy. They would have a house a few miles from Maureen and Johns. Not too close ,so that they would not always be reliant on John or Maureen for advice. But also not too far as he had no desire to feel isolated ever again.

As he looked over at his family and celebrated being alive he noted that someone was missing. As yet the others had not realised someone was absent.

They were busy talking to Caci and Lyric so he slowly slipped away.

He found Doctor Smith alone ,standing on the grass staring up at the sky. The Doctor turned to look at him. "It looks like a lovely evening", Smith stated. "Yes, it does", Don agreed. It felt unnatural to be talking about the weather with Smith. This was not why he had come here. "I know why you decided to stay with us", Don told Smith. He saw the Doctor immediately go pale and tears pooled in the corner of his eyes. Reaching out Don put his hand on the other mans shoulder. "I would not say anything to the others Smith", he assured the man.

Smith nodded and for awhile all was silent between them. Then Smith spoke, not the stupid things he usually said to rile the Major , but actual truths he had never shared before. "I realised when I was dating a woman called Daphne Hanson", Smith said softly. "We planned to marry and of course had a glorious future filled with children all planned out". I wanted little Smiths in my life, imagining teaching them many different things. Before the wedding she insisted upon tests, to make sure none of our future offspring, would carry any genetic markers that may adversely affect their future. That was when I found out I was infertile. I thought it would not matter. But it did".

He reached up to wipe a fresh tear. "She left me, for someone who could give her what she wanted".

"I thought I had left that all behind me, only to find it mattered to those upon this world as well", Smith stated. "In fact if Ollia had found out she would have killed me". So yes, I am afraid my reasons for fleeing were just to save my own ass. You should not be surprised about that",Smith could not help his bitter mocking tone.

Don did not move his hand from Smith's shoulder . "It was not a failing to feel afraid Doctor Smith. I was terrified the whole time as well. Despite your fear you helped us". Thank you". Don reached out and gave Doctor Zachary Smith a hug.

"Judy and I will have children in the future. You would make a great uncle. Just try to curb your tendencies to get others into trouble", Don asked.

Smith was feeling shocked that Donald "grumpy asshole' West was giving him a hug. He shook his head, sure that his hearing was actually faulty. Donald West, the man who name he had cursed so many times had just given him something priceless. He really had changed. Smith had to acknowledge this an make the effort to be different. "Thank you Don. I won't let you down", he assured the Major.

Don broke away from the hug then and gave him one last nod before slowly leaving to rejoin his wife. "Zachary West", he rolled the name on his tongue. Yes they could name their first child after a favourite friend . "Absolutely no way Smith", he heard from Don say from the bushes not far way.

That response was more teasing than annoying and Doctor Smith laughed. For the first time he was looking forward to a future on another planet. He too had put aside his longing to return to Earth. It was no point chasing something that would never happen. Instead he had learnt to embrace the here and now and that had given him a whole new perspective .

He was part of a family that was way bigger than just the Robinsons.

"Life can be good", he said loudly.

It was a motto for the future and not just for him...

The END...


End file.
